Gospel Commentary for August 14, 2025

If the math I learned as a child still works, the difference between Peter’s numbers and Jesus’ numbers when it comes to forgiveness is huge. Peter suggests forgiving seven times, but Jesus turns that into 490 times. That’s crazy! When Jesus exaggerates, no one can stop Him.

Or maybe — thinking it over, and especially thinking about how many times each of us has messed up and gone to our Father God asking for forgiveness — maybe Jesus didn’t exaggerate at all.

Because really — when has God ever refused to forgive us? I get the feeling we’ve all gone far beyond that “magical” number of 490. Which means Jesus wasn’t exaggerating. He was just asking us to do with others what God already does with us. No more, no less.

And honestly, we’ll never be as generous with forgiveness as God is — no matter how hard we try.

To make His point, Jesus tells Peter a story. It’s the story of a king who forgives one of his servants a huge, massive debt. He lets him go because he has pity on him and his family.

But then, that same servant meets another man who owes him a small amount of money — just a few coins, really, nothing compared to the debt he had owed the king. But instead of forgiving him, the servant demands full payment. And when the other man can’t pay, he throws him in prison.

What an injustice! The one who was forgiven so much can’t forgive a tiny amount.

This story applies directly to us. We are saved by God’s love — not because we’ve earned it, but simply because God is generous and merciful. And even after that, we still go around asking, “How many times do I have to forgive my brother?”