Matthew 18:28 (ASV)

Passage

But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.

Nearby Context

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

Matthew 18:27 And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

Matthew 18:28 But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.

Matthew 18:29 So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.

Matthew 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "servant", "went", "found", "fellow-servants", "owed", "hundred", "shillings", and "laid". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "servant" and "went", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "And the lord of that servant being..." into verse 29's "So his fellow-servant fell down and besought...", so "servant" and "went" 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 "servant" and "went" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.