Homily for Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Peter was a well-known figure in the community where Matthew lived. Only in Matthew's gospel does Jesus refer to Simon Peter as the "rock" on which He will build His church. It is also only in Matthew's gospel that Peter asks Jesus, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

In their culture, the number seven represented completeness and fullness. Forgiving someone seven times would be seen as forgiving them as much as possible. However, Jesus tells Peter and us, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." Jesus wants us to understand that there should be no limit to our willingness to forgive one another.

Jesus is aware that humans tend to limit our willingness to forgive. Nonetheless, He encourages us to use God's infinite mercy as an example of how we should forgive. 

In today's parable, Jesus emphasizes how forgiving God is. He sets a high standard and calls on us to emulate God's mercy by being ready to forgive those who have wronged us. In other words, as we hear in Matthew 5, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."