21 Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. 24 When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ 27 The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ 30 He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ 34 His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

1 When Jesus had finished these words, he departed from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 18:21-19:1 - World English Bible

This passage concluded the Discourse on the Church with a teaching on forgiveness, right on the heals of the instruction on correction. After all, once the assembly ejected a obstinate member from its midst, how were they to treat this "fallen-away" person? Does the local Church forgive completely (seven times) as Peter suggested? No, Jesus replied, not completely, but continuously (seven times seventy).

Jesus followed up his comment with the parable of the King and his Servant. He weaved an unimaginable premise where the trusted servant (a minister of finance?) squandered a sum of money greater than the gross national product of the kingdom, then had the audacity to beg the regent for forgiveness! But the minister, freed from debt by the beneficence of the king, revealed his petty arrogance by throttling a underling for repayment equivalent to three months wages. Jesus painted this gross disparity to make a point; the local community, even its individual members, must grant mercy in the same measure the Father forgave them. Forgiveness was a measure of Christian character; it also was a yardstick for the power of faith in the community.

Forgiveness is hard. Who needs forgiveness in your world this week?