Mark 11.25, Matthew 6.14-15, 18.21-35.
Jesus told us in
Matthew 6.12 BCP - And forgive us our trespasses,
- as we forgive those who trespass against us.
He elaborated on this
Matthew 6.14-15 KWL - 14 “When you forgive people their misdeeds, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
- 15 When you can’t forgive people, your Father won’t forgive your misdeeds either.”
And in Mark’s variant of the same teaching:
Mark 11.25 KWL - “Whenever you stand up to pray, forgive whatever you have against anyone.
- Thus your Father, who’s in heaven, can forgive you your misdeeds.”
He elaborated on it even more in his Unforgiving Slave story.
Matthew 18.21-35 KWL - 21 Simon Peter came and told Jesus, “Master, how often will my fellow Christian sin against me, and I’ll have to forgive them? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus told him,
- “I don’t say ‘as many as seven times,’
- but as many as seven by seventy times.
- 23 “This is why heaven’s kingdom is like a king’s employee who wanted to settle a matter with his slaves. 24 Beginning the settlement, one debtor was brought to him who owed 260 million grams silver. 25 Having nothing to pay, the master commanded him to be sold—and his woman and children and as much as he had, and to pay with that. 26 Falling down, the slave worshiped his master, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back everything.’ 27 Compassionately, that slave’s master freed him and forgave him the debt.
- 28 “Exiting, that slave found his coworker, who owed him 390 grams silver. Grabbing him, he choked him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29 Falling down, the coworker offered to work with him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back everything.’ 30 The slave didn’t want to, but went to throw him in debtor’s prison till he could pay back what he owed.
- 31 “Seeing this, the slave’s coworkers became outraged, and went to explain to their master everything that happened. 32 Then summoning the slave, his master told him, ‘Evil slave: I forgave you all that debt, because you offered to work with me! 33 Ought you not have mercy on your coworker, like I had mercy on you? 34 Furious, his master delivered him to torturers till he could pay back all he owed. 35 Likewise my heavenly Father will do to you—when you don’t forgive your every fellow Christian from your hearts.”
The “delivered him to torturers” bit
But fixating on this torture stuff misses the point. God shows us infinite mercy. What kind of ingrates are we when we don’t pay his mercy forward?