We have here the last part of Jesus' teaching on behaviour in the Christian community. It is about forgiveness. Once a person truly repents of what they have done, forgiveness must be offered - and offered indefinitely. The teaching is spelt out in a parable about a king's two servants - one with a huge debt to the king and the other with a small debt to the first servant. The one with the large debt, who is forgiven, refuses to forgive the small debt of his colleague.

The one with the big debt to the king clearly represents each one of us in our debts to God; the one with the small debt to us is a brother or sister. We expect God to forgive us every time we approach with sorrow; the same must apply in our dealings with those around us. We can never refuse an offer of reconciliation. And true forgiveness always implies mutual reconciliation - even though it may take time. We affirm this every time we pray: "Forgive us our sins just as we forgive those who sin against us." Do we always mean it when it rolls so easily off our tongues?