NOTES for Mat 18:21-22
Of course, the point is not to make notches after each “forgiveness” and count them again every day, anticipating the long-awaited revenge after the 490th mark. To forgive means to forgive, leaving no notches, not counting the sins of one’s neighbor, not keeping an evil memory in the heart. Hard, is it not? But there is another option: my brother sinned, I forgave him, and in order not to give him the opportunity to sin against me again, I simply break off all relations with him. It would seem reasonable and quite feasible.
Everything would be fine, but one phrase from the Lord’s Prayer gets in the way. Yes, yes, “and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.” Moreover, Jesus considers it necessary to emphasize the significance of these words separately (Matt. 6:14-15). That is, the heavenly Father forgives us exactly as we forgive. It remains only to imagine that after our very first sin He would forgive us and then break off all relations with us...
This means that in His answer to Peter Jesus does, after all, have in mind something unreasonable and not very possible for us. In this way He again directs His disciples, and you and me, to let into our heart the One Person who can forgive in this way, because His love for people is perfect. But without our effort, our consent, our desire to forgive, nothing will come of it: God does not compel, but gives strength.