Forgiveness is hard! Imagine going to a hospital and seeing the doctor yell at the patients and torture them! You would be shocked, because we expect the doctor to have mercy and heal us. Sadly in the West people often think of God like a harsh judge rather than as the Good Doctor. Christ tells this story in St. Matthew (18:23-35)...
The
Lord spoke this parable: The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a
king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the
reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and
as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and
children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant
fell on his knees, imploring him, Lord, have patience with me, and I
will pay you everything. And out of pity for him the lord of that
servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as
he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a
hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, Pay what you
owe. So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, Have patience
with me, and I will pay you. He refused and went and put him in prison
until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had
taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to
their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and
said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you
besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant,
as I had mercy on you? And in anger his lord delivered him to the
jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father
will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from
your heart.
My comments:
In the story that Christ tells,
the first servant is harsh and unforgiving, in contrast to the King who
is like God. In modern terms the King forgives $20million, but the servant will not forgive just $20,000 (one-thousandth as much). God is merciful to us and forgives our sins, but to anyone
who rejects His Love then the story shows the person misses out on God's
healing and is judged instead. God first and mainly wants to HEAL. It
is only if we reject God's healing that we suffer, like a patient who
rejects the medicine from the doctor. If we ourselves become unmerciful
then the warning is "My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if
you do not forgive your brother from your heart." This is a great verse
to memorise to remind us to forgive others!
