Answer: Matthew 18:21 and 22. Some versions render it seventy-seven times rather than seventy times seven. In either case it is not believed to be a literal number but rather a metaphor for not counting because it does not matter as long as the person seeking forgiveness is truly sincere. This passage does not imply that we should let someone take advantage of us by insincerely asking for our forgiveness time and time again.

Why do I say we are not to be taken advantage of? The main reason is we are to be Christ like. Jesus was often tested by the religious leaders of his day. They were simply trying to trap him, not ask sincere questions. In those cases He would turn the tables on them. Christians are not commanded to be fools. We are commanded to be wise but gentle. (Matthew 10:16)

The context of the whole passage is related to having received forgiveness from God the Father but not giving that same type of forgiveness to those who have wronged you. The passage also clears up another popular misconception about forgiveness.  Christians are not commanded to forgive everyone, only those who seek forgiveness. However, you may ask God the Father to forgive even the most horrible and unrepentant sinner. It is not always our place to forgive since the actual wrong is committed against God the Father, not us. See below for the rest of the passage:

23″Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[g] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26″The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28″But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[h] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29″His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

30″But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32″Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35″This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

It would appear from this passage that not much has changed in 2,000 years. The young among us still need to be encouraged to “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness”.

I hear a great number of people openly wondering how our society got so far with teen pregnancies, drug use, the high school drop out rate and on and on. The passage above gives us a clue. No longer does society judge people. There are excuse makers among us that have gone too far.

To fix this we need to start holding our children to account for their actions. If they get pregnant before they are ready Christian parents say “well, at least they didn’t get an abortion”. Since when was the measure of morality not killing a child? It is still a shame for them to get pregnant in the first place.

When they do drugs I hear parents and others saying “It is just a phase, after all I had a wild youth”. Since when did our bad behavior as young people justify more bad behavior. When did that ever make bad behavior acceptable.

When our children tell us they are going to drop out of school we tell them it is OK and we still love them. Since when was punishing your children showing a lack of love? To the contrary. The Bible tells us Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Let us first encourage our children to flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Let us agree as a nation to bring our children back to some semblance of sanity through discipline.