And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Read Chapter 18
John Chrysostom
AD 407
For He delivered him over till he should pay that which was due, that is, for ever; for he will never repay. For since you are not become better by the kindness shown you, it remains that by vengeance thou be corrected.
And yet, The graces and the gifts are without repentance, but wickedness has had such power as to set aside even this law. What then can be a more grievous thing than to be revengeful, when it appears to overthrow such and so great a gift of God.
And he did not merely deliver him, but was angry. For when he commanded him to be sold, his were not the words of wrath (therefore neither did he do it), but a very great occasion for benevolence; but now the sentence is of much indignation, and vengeance, and punishment.
. The master in his love for mankind takes issue with the servant, to show that it is not the master, but the savagery and the ingratitude of the servant that has revoked the gift. To what tormentors does he deliver him? To the punitive powers for eternal punishment. For the meaning of "till he should pay all his debt" is this: "let him be punished till that he should pay all that was due." But he will never be able to pay his debt, and therefore his punishment will never end.
