“…And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:12-15
We say these words of the Lord’s Prayer often, we fly through them during each Mass, but how often do we listen to them? How many times have you even gone to the words Jesus spoke following the prayer? No, not “for the Kingdom, the power and glory..” that is said at Mass, but, “but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Forgiveness and mercy are a grace beyond all reason by our Father to all who seek and accept it. But, it is also a command placed upon those to whom it is given.
Mercy and forgiveness are a gift from God that He commands must be given away to others.
Look at how Jesus speaks of the reaction of the king in Matthew 6:32-34. “Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.” This servant had just been forgiven a tremendous debt which he could never pay back simply because he begged forgiveness. The debt wasn’t deferred, it was wiped clean. The servant then went out and condemned another for a much smaller, insignificant in comparison, debt owed to him.
Jesus was clear here and following the Lord’s Prayer that we must forgive to be forgiven.
“So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister[e]from your heart.” Matthew 6:35
We are that servant. The debt we owe is immense, it can never be repaid no matter how long we tried or how much wealth we accumulate. Jesus looks with His eyes of Divine Mercy and begs the Father to forgive us, everything. He doesn’t ask deferment of the debt, He doesn’t just ask that it be forgotten. With His nail scarred hands, Jesus wipes our ledger clean and takes upon His body all our debts.
The Father then turns to us to see how we react. Will we strive to forgive as we’ve been forgiven though the debt owed us is much smaller?