And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
But he refused. Instead, he had the guy thrown in prison until he could pay back every penny he owed.
Sometimes people who've been shown mercy refuse to pass it on to others.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Jesus tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant as part of his teaching on forgiveness in Matthew 18, which addresses how believers should handle conflicts and show mercy. In this story, a servant who was forgiven an enormous debt by his master refuses to extend the same grace to another servant who owes him a small amount, leading him to demand imprisonment. This reflects the common ancient practice in the Roman Empire and surrounding cultures where debtors could be jailed until their debts were paid.
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