Forgive Us Our Debts is the ninth episode of Animated Stories from the New Testament.
Episode Guide[]
Previous episode: The Righteous Judge
Next episode: The Kingdom of Heaven
Plot[]
In reality, nets are cast into the water as the Apostle Peter and a boy named Joel are pulling up nets. Joel laughs during this. Two tax collectors come to collect Peter's tribute, and they badmouth Jesus. Joel angrily tells them to watch how they talk about the master, and starts to fight, but Peter stops him and then calmly tells them to come back tomorrow, and they'll get their money. When one of them asks what about Jesus, Peter points out that it is a shame Jesus would have to drop a coin into their filthy hands. The other collector hits Peter in the back with the end of his walking stick, making him lose his fish, and tells him that even though Peter calls Jesus "Master" and "Son of God," to him (the collector), Jesus is nothing more than a man who owes a debt. He vows they will come again tomorrow. The other reminds him that the tax is a half-shekel each: one from Peter, and one from Jesus.
Peter walks to a house where Jesus is staying. Jesus asks him why he is troubled. Peter explains his situation. Jesus tells him to forgive them and show them love. He then instructs the perfect way to pay back both their tribute. As instructed, Peter faithfully goes into the sea and casts in his line. Once he catches a fish, he opens its mouth and catches a whole shekel. Then he goes into a bar where the collectors and other denizens laugh about the events. One of the collectors suspects smelling fish. Peter angrily tosses the coin into the other collector's cup of wine. The thinner collector asks why Jesus didn't come in Himself. "Too holy to be seen with tax collectors?" he asks, and one of them tosses the coin. The same collector who asked tests his emotional reaction, saying Jesus wouldn't like for him to get angry. The collectors and denizens laugh.
Later that night, Peter asks his brother Andrew where Jesus is. Andrew says He is sleeping, as He hasn't slept for days, so Andrew just told other people they would have to wait until morning. Nevertheless, Peter has to speak with Him. He goes up and wakes Jesus, making sure to apologize for waking Him. Jesus tells him to come and sit next to him and speak his mind. Jesus tells Peter the parable of the unforgiving servant.
In the story, a foolish man named Hazor is brought over by two guards to a king. The king tells him he owes him a great sum of money, but Hazor doesn't know what that "great sum" means. An assistant to the king looks over a scroll, finding out that the great sum is ten thousand talents. Upon remembering, and unable to pay it back, Hazor tries weaseling out by promising to pay it back in six months, then three, two, and finally one. This doesn't work, as when the king loaned him that money, they agreed on a punishment if it was not paid on time: his wife and children would be sold as slaves, and he would go to prison. Hazor begs him for forgiveness and patience, and he'd pay him in full. The king feels pity and forgives him the debt, but not before telling him that although he (the king) has no desire to throw him (Hazor) in prison, the next time, he must keep his promises. Hazor keeps thanking him, but is dragged away from the guards. He tells them to let go of him because, as the king said, he doesn't owe him a mite. He then just walks off on his own.
That night, a little boy named Nahash is in bed, but he is not asleep, as he overhears his mother, Sisera, ask her husband Micah how long he'll be gone. After the second time, Micah initially answers three weeks, but adds it might be four. Nahash is worried about him leaving. Micah asks him if he remembers the year before when the storm came and ruined their farm. Nahash remembers: they had to borrow money from that man (Hazor). Hazor had been very kind to help them out. Now it's time to pay him back, but Micah doesn't have the money, so he has to go to the city and earn it. Nahash asks if he can't just pay him later. Sisera tells her son that his father made a promise and can't break it.
The next morning, Hazor brags to an old man about how he got out of paying back his debt, unaware that the king's assistant is spying. Hazor brags that he refused, and would only pay when good and ready to do so, and the king apologized to him, telling him to go his way in peace. When he spots Micah about to buy some bread, he says he has business to attend to. Before Micah can give a coin that has a dent in it, Hazor takes it and questions him for stuffing his stomach before paying his debt. Micah explains to Hazor that he is looking for work and promises to pay him back. Hazor takes him into an empty shady spot, slaps him, and demands he pay him the money he owes him. Micah insists he doesn't have it and begs for time. Hazor is unmoved and asks who he thinks he is. Micah begs for mercy, but instead, Hazor squeezes his neck. The assistant has been eavesdropping and screams and runs in horror over this just as a guard walks over to the two servants. Hazor explains that he has captured Micah, that he owes him money and was trying to escape. The guard checks with Micah to see if it was his signature, which it was, but before Micah can explain his plight, the guard asks Hazor if he'd like to press charges. Hazor lies that he hates having to do such things, but in this fellow's case, he believes he has no choice. The guard takes Micah to prison, with him begging for a chance. The assistant whispers this unforgiving act to the king, upsetting him, but he thanks him. After the assistant is out of sight, the king claps for the guards to come and tells them to bring Hazor to him.
Hazor acts as a merchant, trying to help a woman in selling some fine cloth, but upon seeing the king's guards, he snatches the cloth and closes the shop and climbs up a chimney onto a roof and jumps into a wagon with hay, breaking it. He keeps escaping, distracting the guards with baskets, and snatches a shawl, disguising himself as a woman and carrying a pot on his head. He accidentally bumps into one of the guards who, mistaking him for a woman, begs "her" pardon. In his normal voice, Hazor tells him to think nothing of it. Realizing his mistake, he gasps and tries saying, in a feminine voice, that he means it's quite all right; however, the guard pulls off the philtrum shawl, and he tries to hide his facial hair with his hands, causing the pot to fall and break on the guard's head. Either that guard or the other pulls off the shawl, causing him to spin out and fall. Hazor calls for a doctor to fix his broken arm and both his broken legs, asks if his nose is bleeding, says he feels weak, he needs a doctor. Not fooled, the guard pick him up. He claims to have the flu and leprosy, and cries out to the others that it's not safe to be near him, to look out, and to run for the hills.
At the prison, the king has released Micah and apologizes for how poorly he was treated, and tells him he is free to go now. Micah thanks him and bows, but before he is gone, the guards have brought Hazor over and shoved him. Micah has just left. The king asks Hazor why he refused to show mercy on the poor. Hazor lies that he needed the money, but to pay him back, that he was getting the money for him. The king tells him he forgave him his debt. Hazor knew, but claimed to be so thankful that he wanted to repay him. He asks how else he was to show his gratitude. The king answers with the means of having pity on others, as he had pity on him. He nods to the guards as a signal to throw him into prison. They do, with Hazor begging for forgiveness. Neither the king nor the guards is moved by this begging. The guards throw him into prison and close the door. Hazor cries in protest that it isn't fair. He begs the king to be merciful and have mercy. The king tells Hazor he would love to show him mercy, but asks how he could forgive him, when he refuses to forgive others. Defeated, Hazor sits down with his back against the door.
Back to Jesus and Peter, Jesus explains to Peter that his Heavenly Father is like the king; if we don't forgive others, He won't forgive us. He then adds the answer to how many times: not only seven times, but seventy times seven. Peter walks out of the house for Jesus to sleep and takes a walk, thinking about this lesson ("I Forgive"), at one point passing the laughing tax collectors who throw and break a cup, and passing sleeping sheep (one of whom wakes up and watches him). He then sits at a hill by the super moon.
The next morning, Joel worries about Peter having not gotten any sleep last night when he yawns. Peter explains that he was up late talking to Jesus, but before he can finish saying His name, he and Joel spot the nets being destroyed. The collectors gloat, saying that is for being disrespectful. Joel angrily runs off to fight them, but Peter stops him, and then forgivingly tells the collectors that they don't have to destroy his nets to earn his respect, but perhaps they could be friends sometime, and wishes them both a good day, much to the confusion of the collectors and the dismay of Joel. Peter explains that Jesus has taught them to forgive. Joel insists on not forgiving the collectors. Peter, starting to row, tells him the story of the unforgiving servant.
Trivia[]
Both Best brothers appear here, but not only are they not playing brothers, but then-14-year-old Jonathan voices a character outside the parable (Joel), and then-11-year-old Matthew voices a character inside the parable (Nahash).