The Unforgiving Debtor

It's a well-known parable. I grew up with it.

This guy owes a huge amount to a king but begs for mercy and is forgiven. He, in turn, refuses to do the same with someone else who owes him a comparatively insignificant amount. So the king throws him in jail after all.

I was reading this parable this morning and the last verse struck me.

"That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters* from your heart." - Matthew 18:35 (NLT)

Of course this parable is about forgiveness.
But for some reason I'd always read it more in light of 'do to others as you'd have them do to you' - ok, I won't demand someone to give me a few dollars if I've not had to pay my debt to someone else - that kind of thinking.

But to forgive from the heart? That brings it home much more sharply - and painfully!

I have been forgiven much.

Then why do I keep grudges?
Why do I avoid some people because of messy dealings YEARS ago?
Why, when thinking about some people, or even worse, talking about them with others, do I focus on the negative or dwell again and again on things they said or did that I didn't like or agree with?

That's not forgiveness.
That's as idiotic as someone walking away having escaped prison for a huge debt, then shaking down someone else for owing them a few dollars.

We see the stupidity of the actions in the parable. So why do we repeat them every day?