Forgiveness without limit: Refusing to accept Peter’s suggested seven times, Jesus pushes the instances of forgiveness into infinity by declaring that one member of the Church must be willing to forgive another member “seventy-seven times” or “seventy times seven times.” In other words, forgiveness is to be offered without limit. A community that is willing to forgive is easily held together.
The parable of the unforgiving servant, unique to Matthew’s Gospel, stresses the extravagance and unlimitedness of forgiveness. Followers of Jesus have received God’s great forgiveness; it is absurd for them to refuse to offer it to each other, when their offenses against God are far greater than those of their fellow followers against them.