The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

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We recognize that in the person of this king is signified the Son of God, who held the whole human race guilty in the infinite debt of sin., since through the first sin we were all debtors of sin and death. In the ten thousand talents the serious sins of the human race are signified. And though all men by natural law were debtors to this heavenly king and guilty – since the apostle say about the same natural law that “all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin” (Rom 3:9) – yet in this debt of sin the people of the Jews were particularly guilty. After so many great benefits they could not keep the law received through Moses. But in no way could either the people of the Jews, who had received the law, nor the Gentiles, that is, we ourselves, pay off such a great debt of sin. Hence the heavenly King, moved by pity and mercy, forgave us all our sins. And what are these sins? Those that every day in our prayers we ask to be forgiven, saying, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Therefore, since in no way – that is, with no satisfaction and no worthy penitence – could we pay off this debt of sin and eternal death, that eternal King came down from heaven and by remitting the human race its sins forgave all the debt of every one who believes in him. How he forgave it the holy apostle clearly shows when he thus says, “having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Col 2:14) For we are held in sin-guilt as if under the debt of some creditor note. The Son of God has annulled this note written against us by the water of baptism and the drops of his blood.

St. Chromatius, Archbishop of Aquileia (d. ca. 406/407), Tractate on Matthew 59.5