[23] That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. [24] When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. [25] Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. [26] At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' [27] Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. [28] When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' [29] Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' [30] But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. [31] Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. [32] His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. [33] Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' [34] Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. [35] So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart."
(CCC 2842) This "as" is not unique in Jesus' teaching: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect"; "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"; "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (Mt 5:48; Lk 6:36; Jn 13:34). It is impossible to keep the Lord's commandment by imitating the divine model from outside; there has to be a vital participation, coming from the depths of the heart, in the holiness and the mercy and the love of our God. Only the Spirit by whom we live can make "ours" the same mind that was in Christ Jesus (Cf. Gal 5:25; Phil 2:1,5). Then the unity of forgiveness becomes possible and we find ourselves "forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave" us (Eph 4:32). (CCC 2843) Thus the Lord's words on forgiveness, the love that loves to the end (Cf. Jn 13:1), become a living reality. The parable of the merciless servant, which crowns the Lord's teaching on ecclesial communion, ends with these words: "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart" (Cf. Mt 18:23-35). It is there, in fact, "in the depths of the heart," that everything is bound and loosed. It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession.
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