“Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven'” (Matthew 18:22, NKJV). Peter thought he was being generous, offering to forgive up to seven times. Jesus’ answer isn’t really about a literal count.
Seventy times seven is Jesus’ way of removing the ceiling altogether. The moment you start counting toward a limit is the moment you’ve misunderstood what forgiveness actually is.
This is genuinely hard, especially with repeat offenses from the same person. It’s tempting to feel that a limit is not just reasonable but wise.
Is there someone you’ve been quietly keeping count with, waiting to reach the number where you’re finally justified in stopping? Jesus’ answer here challenges that count directly.