Matthew 18; Luke 10

Jesus Christ taught that the only way to enter the kingdom of heaven is to be converted and humble oneself as a little child. He taught His disciples principles to help them guide the Church. All of the Twelve received the keys of the kingdom. When Peter asked how often he should forgive others, Jesus shared the parable of the unmerciful servant. The Savior called and provided instruction to the Seventy. They preached, healed, and returned to report on their labors. The Savior shared the parable of the good Samaritan. He taught Mary and Martha about prioritizing the things of God.

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Background and Context

Matthew 18:5–10

How does the Savior feel about those who offend His “little ones”?

See “Mark 9:42–48. How does the Savior feel about those who offend His ‘little ones’?”

Matthew 18:21–22

What does it mean to forgive others “until seventy times seven”?

In the Bible, the number 7 symbolizes completeness, fulness, or totality. The number 490 (or “seventy times seven”) symbolizes perfection. Jesus used the numbers 7 and 490 as a “symbol of perfect forgiveness.”

Elder Lynn G. Robbins observed: “The Lord used the math of seventy times seven as a metaphor of His infinite Atonement, His boundless love, and His limitless grace. ‘Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me’ [Mosiah 26:30; emphasis added].” We likewise should emulate the Savior’s example of forgiving others.

Matthew 18:23–35

What is the difference between 10,000 talents and 100 pence?

In this parable, the king represents the Lord and the servant who owed 10,000 talents represents each of us. The Savior used this parable to teach the importance of forgiving others.

The parable refers to “ten thousand talents” (verse 24) and “an hundred pence [Greek dēnaria]” (verse 28), which were types of currency in Jesus’s time. The 100 pence owed by the fellow servant is an insignificant amount when compared to 10,000 talents.

“During the first century A.D., it is estimated that 10,000 talents equaled 100,000,000 denarii. One denarius was a typical day’s wage for a common laborer. If that laborer worked three hundred days a year, it would take about 33 years for him to be able to purchase one talent. And it would take over 300,000 years to earn 10,000 talents, the sum of the servant’s debt.”

President Jeffrey R. Holland taught: “There is some difference of opinion among scholars regarding the monetary values mentioned here … but to make the math easy, if the smaller, unforgiven 100-pence debt were, say, $100 in current times, then the 10,000-talent debt so freely forgiven would have approached $1 billion—or more!

“As a personal debt, that is an astronomical number—totally beyond our comprehension. … Well, for the purposes of this parable, it is supposed to be incomprehensible; it is supposed to be beyond our ability to grasp, to say nothing of beyond our ability to repay. That is because this … is a story about us, the fallen human family—mortal debtors, transgressors, and prisoners all. …

“Jesus uses an unfathomable measurement here because His Atonement is an unfathomable gift given at an incomprehensible cost.”

Luke 10:1–20

Who were the Seventy?

Luke is the only Gospel writer to record that Jesus Christ called the Seventy. Along with the Twelve Apostles, the Seventy were to preach the gospel and prepare the way for the Savior. His calling of the Seventy and instructions to them were similar to the calling and instructions He gave to His Twelve Apostles. Today, General Authority Seventies are Church leaders called by the First Presidency of the Church. They serve as “especial witnesses” assisting the Twelve in “building up the church,” “regulating all the affairs,” and “preaching and administering the gospel” throughout the world.

Luke 10:30

What do we know about the road from Jerusalem to Jericho?

The road that “went down from Jerusalem to Jericho” dropped 3,280 feet in elevation. It may have followed dry riverbeds, as depicted in the image below. The road was about 12.5 miles (20 km) long and passed through desolate, hilly terrain, where robbers would often hide and attack passing travelers.

aerial view of the Wadi Qelt in Israel, near Jericho

Luke 10:31–36

What is the significance of the priest, Levite, and Samaritan in the parable of the good Samaritan?

According to the law of Moses, priests and Levites were assigned to teach God’s law and to serve God and their fellow men and women. They were fully aware of the commandment to “love thy neighbour as thyself.” In fact, God had commanded the Israelites, including priests and Levites, to not stand idly by when a neighbor’s life was in danger.

In the Savior’s parable, the priest and the Levite violated these commandments. Instead of following the law of Moses, they may have been following the tradition of the elders, or the oral law. This oral tradition stated that Jews were not obligated to deliver non-Jews or those of unknown ethnicity from death. Such a person was not considered a neighbor.

Ironically, the Samaritan filled the roles of the priest and the Levite as outlined in the Mosaic law. President M. Russell Ballard taught: “Have you ever wondered why the Savior chose to make the hero of this story a Samaritan? There was considerable antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans at the time of Christ. Under normal circumstances, these two groups avoided association with each other. It would still be a good, instructive parable if the man who fell among thieves had been rescued by a brother Jew.

“His deliberate use of Jews and Samaritans clearly teaches that we are all neighbors and that we should love, esteem, respect, and serve one another despite our deepest differences—including religious, political, and cultural differences.”

Luke 10:33–35

Why did the Samaritan use oil and wine to treat the man’s wounds?

The Samaritan treated the wounded man’s injuries with oil and wine, both of which have medicinal value. Oil was used to soothe wounds, and wine was used to disinfect wounds. Oil and wine are also symbolic of Christ’s Atonement. Like the good Samaritan, Jesus Christ has compassion. He heals our spiritual wounds of sin and saves us from death. He brings us to safety and employs others to help us. Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ has personally paid the price for our recovery.

Luke 10:38–42

What was expected of a hostess in New Testament times?

“Hospitality was very important in Jewish society, and a woman’s honor and reputation depended partly on how well she fulfilled cultural expectations regarding the role of hostess.” Because of these social customs, Martha’s complaint that Mary had left her to serve alone would probably have been seen as justified. The Savior’s response to Martha’s concern clarified that the things of God are a higher priority than social customs, even if they are good customs.