# Day 258

# “Forgive Others from Your Heart”

Matthew 18:21–35

Peter asked, “How often should I forgive someone? Seven times?”

Jesus answered, “Not seven times; I tell you: seventy-seven times.

“Once a king’s servant owed him ten million dollars. He couldn’t pay. The king ordered, ‘Sell this man and his family into slavery to pay his debt.’

“The servant begged, ‘Be patient. I’ll pay you everything.’

“Pitying him, the king said, ‘You don’t have to pay.’

“Later, a man owed him 100 dollars. ‘Pay me what you owe,’ he demanded. The man pleaded, ‘Have patience. I’ll pay you!’ But the servant put him in jail until he could pay.

“Other servants saw this and told the king. The king said to the servant, ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you your debt because you begged me to. I had mercy on you. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on that man?’ The king sent him to prison until he’d paid his debt.

“Peter, the lesson is this: My Father is like the king in this story. You are like the servant. So always forgive others from your heart.”

Questions: Peter wanted to forgive seven times. How many times did Jesus say to forgive? What is the lesson of Jesus’ story?