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Peter asked Jesus a question about forgiveness, he wanted to know how many times he should forgive someone who continually wronged him.

Peter suggested it should be seven times, as this was seen to be the perfect number.

He probably thought that he was being very generous with forgiveness by suggesting seven times.

However, Jesus stated that forgiveness should be unlimited, “No, not seven times but seventy times seven.”

Jesus then tells a parable to explain this teaching further.

In this parable a king was settling his accounts and called for a servant who owed him 10,000 talents.

The servant could not pay the debt, so the king ordered that he and his wife and family should be sold into slavery. The servant begged the king, “Be patient with me and I will pay you back everything.” The king had pity on him, he forgave him his debt and released him.

This same servant met an enslaved man who owed him 100 denarii. He violently demanded the money. The poor man pleaded for patience, but the servant ordered that the man be sent to prison until the debt was paid.

On hearing about this the king was angry with the servant he had forgiven, he called him wicked. The man was handed over to be tortured until he could pay back his full amount.

Jesus concluded that that is how God will treat each of us if we do not forgive from our hearts.

Christians believe that they must forgive those who have sinned against them if they are to receive God’s forgiveness themselves. Those who do not forgive are punished.

To be able to receive forgiveness, one must have a heart that forgives others.