Jesus doesn’t issue many threats, but He does issue one important one, twice.

“This king did what my heavenly Father will do to you if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart!”

Forgiveness is at the core of Christian faith–it is what separates us from every other religious movement: we don’t earn our salvation in any way. It is a free gift of forgiveness for all the selfish, God ignoring things we have done. And Jesus points out that although forgiveness is hard, if you can’t look at the billions of things God has forgiven and then act in the same way toward those who have hurt you, you don’t truly understand forgiveness.

Forgiveness is hard. I need to be threatened, because it NEVER comes naturally. But it is a necessary part of living out our faith, and I must do it, no matter how hard, or how deep the hurt.