The Unforgiving Servant

To think about the parable of the unforgiving servant

by Gordon and Ronni Lamont

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To think about the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18.23-35).

Preparation and materials

• Read through the story in advance.

Assembly

1. Explain that today you're going to tell a story that Jesus told about 2,000 years ago. The children have two jobs: one is to join in with the story and the other is to listen carefully and think about it. Explain that the story is a parable - a story with a special meaning.
   
   
2. Teach the responses. Whenever you say the word 'King', the children are to say, 'Great and powerful one', and to shape their hands as if putting a crown on their heads.
   
   Whenever you say the word 'Servant', the children are to say, 'Your humble servant', and make a bowing action as they sit.
   
   Whenever you say the word 'Money', the children are to say, 'Money, money, money', and the action is to count out coins in the hand.
   
   Whenever you say the word 'Debt' (you might need to explain this word), the children are to say 'Oh dear' and wag their finger in time with the words.
   
   Practise a few times and then tell the story.
   
   
3. Once there was a king
   Great and powerful one
   Who had a servant
   Your humble servant
   And this servant
   Your humble servant
   Owed the king
   Great and powerful one
   A lot of money
   Money, money, money
   A great, great deal of money
   Money, money, money
   Did the servant
   Your humble servant
   Owe the king
   Great and powerful one
   
   The trouble was that the servant
   Your humble servant
   Couldn't pay his debt
   Oh dear
   So, said the king
   Great and powerful one
   He must go to prison
   
   The servant
   Your humble servant
   Was brought before the king
   Great and powerful one
   Please have mercy on me, he said
   And he fell on his knees and begged the king
   Great and powerful one
   And the king
   Great and powerful one
   Felt sorry for the servant
   Your humble servant
   And forgave him and let him go
   
   Now the servant
   Your humble servant
   Went straight out and met a fellow servant
   Your humble servant
   And this other servant
   Your humble servant
   Was in debt
   Oh dear
   To the first servant
   Your humble servant
   For just a few pounds
   Not much money
   Money, money, money
   At all
   It was a very small debt
   Oh dear
   
   Pay back the money
   Money, money, money
   That you owe me
   Said the first servant
   Your humble servant
   The one who the king
   Great and powerful one
   Had forgiven
   
   The other servant
   Your humble servant
   Begged to be forgiven his debt
   Oh dear
   But the first servant
   Your humble servant
   Would not forgive him and had him thrown in jail
   
   The king
   Great and powerful one
   Got to hear about the other servant
   Your humble servant
   Who owed money
   Money, money, money
   Who was in debt
   Oh dear
   To the first servant
   Your humble servant
   Whose debt
   Oh dear
   The king
   Great and powerful one
   Had forgiven
   
   He was angry
   Very angry
   Very, very, very angry
   And he sent the first servant
   Your humble servant
   Straight to prison because that servant
   Your humble servant
   Had had his debt
   Oh dear
   Forgiven
   But would not forgive a much smaller debt
   Oh dear

Time for reflection

Dear God,
Jesus told his followers that they must learn to forgive from the heart.
Forgiveness is hard.
When people hurt us we want to hurt them back.
Help us to understand forgiveness,
help us to learn to forgive.
Help us to practise forgiveness whenever we can.
Amen.

Song/music

'Our Father' (Come and Praise, 51)