Matthew 18:24 (ASV)

Passage

And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents.

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants.

Matthew 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents.

Matthew 18:25 But forasmuch as he had not [wherewith] to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

Matthew 18:26 The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "begun", "reckon", "brought", "owed", "thousand", and "talents". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "begun" and "reckon", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened..." into verse 25's "But forasmuch as he had not wherewith...", so "begun" and "reckon" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "begun" and "reckon" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.