"... Forgive your brother from your heart ..." - Matthew 18:35

A very long time ago a ruler of many people, a king, decided to settle accounts with all who were in his realm. As they came one by one before him, one of those who came was found to owe the astronomical sum of 10,000 talents. Now that was a lot of money, literally an imponderable amount - something like the "national debt," I suppose. Of course, the man was unable to pay.

In those days a citizen who owed more then he was able to pay could be put into prison or sold into slavery. So the king ordered this fellow sold, together with all members of his family. A terribly drastic measure, one might say. Yes, but, after all, this was a terribly large debt.

Hearing the king's edict, the stricken debtor implored the king for mercy,…