Peter's question touches life where we live it, too: "How much forgiving can we be expected to do?" Peter wondered if there was not some cap, which could be imposed in advance, a limit beyond which no reasonable person could be expected to go. In his liberal human generosity, he suggested seven times. Now, if you have been hurt once and again and yet again by another, I think you will understand that forgiving that person seven times is genuinely generous. Even impossibly generous, you might add under your breath.

However, seven times is not the kingdom of heaven, says Jesus. For that kingdom you need to comprehend an unreasonable "new math" of seventy times seven. You need to enter a new world of God's future where there is forgiveness without numbering, yes, forgiveness forever. You nee…