Enom könning tectes thet så
The King's Great Mercy
A king forgives a servant an enormous debt, illustrating the nature of divine grace.
A king decided to call his servants together, summon them before him, and settle his accounts with them. Then one came forward who owed an enormous sum of money, and it went very badly for him, as everyone there could see. He had no way to pay such a debt; he had neither silver nor gold, and his distress only grew. His master ordered that he be sold, along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned, to settle the debt. Then his need became desperate, and it was time to fall humbly at his master’s feet. Dear Lord, gentle and good, let your mercy shine. Be patient with me now regarding these debts of mine. I will devote myself to making full amends to you; so I fall down here and bow to the ground. See the mercy the Lord showed him here: he didn't begrudge the loss of that sum, but forgave it all and let him go, turning his favor toward him. Yet the other man gave little thought to the good that had been done for him.
The Servant's Hard Heart
The forgiven servant fails to show mercy to his own debtor, revealing a lack of gratitude and love.
He soon found one of his debtors, even though the debt was small. He grabbed him and started threatening him: “Pay what you owe, right now! Why keep begging me? You’re going straight to prison; I’ll make sure you’re locked away there.”1 He fell down and begged for time, promising to repay him. “No,” the other said, “I won’t allow any more delay.” He showed his brother no further kindness but had him thrown into prison, where he would have to remain even though he kept pleading.
The Call to Forgive
The master judges the unforgiving servant, serving as a warning for us to forgive our neighbors as God forgives us.
When the master learned of this, he became very angry. He summoned the man at once and said, “Listen, you wicked servant! Can’t you understand? Since I showed you such mercy, you should always have done the same for your brother.” He had him thrown into a harsh prison, where he was to remain until the entire debt had been paid; arguing did him no good. The same will surely happen to every one of us if we’re unwilling to forgive the faults we find in our neighbor. God is merciful and good to us and wants to spare us all. He also wants us, in return, to treat one another the same way. May God, our gracious Father, enable us to keep this mindset and eventually live joyfully with Him forever. Amen.✦
Read the original Latin
ENom könning tectes thet så/ sina tienare kalla/ med them til ena stemno gå/ och en rekenskap halla/ så kom en fram som skyldig wart/ een stoor penninga summo/ med them samma gick thet wel hardt/ som alle tå förnummo
Til at betala sådana skuld/ war ther intit til rådha/ han hade hwarken silff eller guld/ tess större war hans wåde/ at han skulle selias herren bödh/ hustru/ barn/ äghor alla/ til betalning bleeff tå stoor nödh/ tijd war til ödmyuct falla
Kere herre mild och godh/ låt tina miskund skijna/ haff doch nuu me mich tolamodh/ om tesse skulder mina/ iach wil leggia wilian widh/ at iach tich wel förnöyer/ ther på iach nuu faller her nidh/ och mich til iorden böyer
See på herrans barmhertigheet/ then han her nuu bewijste/ han lät sich ey wara swårt eller leedt/ at han then summo miste/ han gaff alt til och lät honom gå/ sin wilia til honom wende/ men hin tencte ther lijtit uppå/ at honom thz godha hende
Han fan strax en sin skyldener/ än doch then skuld war ringa/ på honom han sijn händer bär/ och begynner honom twinga/ tina skuld betala full snart/ hwij faar tu med then flätia/ j tornet scal tu med een fart/ tijt scal iach tich wist settia
Han föll nidh och beddes dagh/ han wille honom wel betala/ ney sade han thet tagher ey lagh/ lenger her med förhala/ ey war han meer sin broder huld/ j tornet motte han liggia/ thet han än skulle tiggia
Tå herren thetta weta fick/ wart han ey litit wreder/ han kallade honom strax til sich/ hör til tu tienare ledher/ tu kan ther intit sköna uppå/ hwad nådh iach med tich giorde / med tinom broder thet ock så/ alltijd tich göra borde Han sattes uti fengsle hart/ så lenge ther at bliffua/ at alt samman betalat wart/ ther halp ey emoot at kijffua/ huilkit ock oss allom skeer wist/ om wij så äre til sinnes/ at wij icke förlåte then brist/ som när wor nästa finnes
Gud är oss barmhertig och godh/ och wil oss alla spara/ han wil ock at wij ther emoot/ skole så hwar annan wara/ giffue oss gud wor fader blijd/ widh thetta sinnet blijffua/ och så sedan j ewig tijd/ glade med honom liffua/ Amen
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.18.23-Matt.18.35 — Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. Matt.18.24 — As he began to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. Matt.18.25 — Since he did not have the means to pay, his master ordered that he be sold, along with his wife and children and everything he had, and that payment be made. Matt.18.26 — The servant fell down and knelt before him, saying, Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything. Matt.18.27 — But the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. Matt.18.28 — But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' Matt.18.29 — So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' Matt.18.30 — But he was unwilling; instead, he went and threw him into prison until he should pay what was owed. Matt.18.31 — When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Matt.18.32 — Then his master summoned him and said, 'Wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.' Matt.18.33 — Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? Matt.18.34 — And his master, having been angry, handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back all that was owed. Matt.18.35 — So also my heavenly Father will do to each of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
Notes
- 1 ↩The archaic Swedish phrase is interpreted as dismissing the debtor’s pleading or excuses; the precise nuance of “flätia” is uncertain.
Early Swedish Hymns companion
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