Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him, suggesting seven times. Jesus replies, "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times," emphasizing unlimited forgiveness.

To illustrate, Jesus tells a parable:
A king wants to settle accounts with his servants. One servant owes him a massive, unpayable debt. When the servant pleads for mercy, the king forgives the entire debt. Later, this same servant encounters a fellow servant who owes him a small amount. Instead of showing the same mercy, he demands immediate payment and has the fellow servant thrown into prison when he cannot pay.

When the king hears about this, he is furious. He calls the first servant wicked for not showing the same mercy he had received and delivers him to the jailers to be tortured until his debt is paid. Jesus concludes by saying, "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."