“Further, if your brother treats you unjustly, go and tell him your complaint—just between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he refuses to discuss it, take one or two—or even three others—to establish a witness. And if he won’t hear them, tell it to the community. But if he won’t listen to the community, count him as a gentile or a tax-collector.

“I tell you for sure, whatever you bind on earth shall be that which has been bound in heaven and whatever you set free on earth shall be that which has been released in heaven. Again, I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything they request, it shall be done for them by my Father, which is in heaven. For where two or three have assembled together in my name, I am there in their midst.”

Then Peter came to him, and said, “Lord, how often can my brother sin against me, and I have to forgive him—seven times?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you, not just seven times, but, even beyond seventy times seven.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king, who checked on his servants. And as he did the calculations, one servant was brought to him who owed him several million dollars. But since he couldn’t repay it, his lord commanded that he and his family be sold, along with everything he had to repay him.

“The servant fell down before him and said, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ Then the servant’s master was touched with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

“But that same servant left, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him five dollars. He grabbed him by the throat, and said, ‘Pay me what you owe me!’

“And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and pleaded, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything!’ But he wouldn’t wait. Rather, he had him imprisoned until the debt was paid.

“So, when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were irritated and reported it to their lord. Then the master called him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?’

“And his lord was angry and delivered him to the jailers until he paid all that was due him. So, in the same way, my heavenly Father will treat you if you don’t actually forgive your brother of every injustice.