Today's Gospel from Matthew 18:21-35 places before us one of the most challenging teachings of Jesus: the call to forgive. Peter approaches Jesus with what seems like a generous question: "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?"

Peter probably thought he was being very generous. In the thinking of the time, forgiving someone repeatedly was already considered a great act of mercy. So Peter may have expected Jesus to say, "Yes, Peter, seven times is enough. After that, you have done your duty." But Jesus surprises him: "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times." In other words, Jesus is not asking us to keep a record of how many times we forgive. He is teaching us that forgiveness is not meant to have a limit.