The Lord’s Prayer – Part Two
Devotion 3: Forgiveness Exampled and Illustrated
Pastor John Carter
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12
Why is it so hard for us to forgive others? If you have been a part of the church for any amount of time, you have, more than likely, heard a message about forgiveness. We love to hear about how we are forgiven and we love to receive the forgiveness of others when we wrong them, but it seems too hard to give it out ourselves. That always seems to be the hardest thing to do! We are going to dive deeper into forgiveness next week. In fact, we are going to dedicate the entire week’s devotions to it. So, today, as we examine what Jesus is saying and teaching us in prayer, we cannot exclude this aspect of forgiveness.
Forgiveness has two parts. There is repentance and then there is forgiveness. Jesus, in this model prayer, is asking us to focus on both of these aspects. Repentance is the acknowledgment of wrong and then turning away. It can include the reconciliation or forgiveness of that wrong. Not only is Jesus pointing to these two concepts of forgiveness, but He is also teaching us the duality of this role that we have in each of us. We each need to go before the Lord and recognize the areas we have wronged God the Father, and not only recognize it, but repent of it. This is what God does when He forgives us. He expects us to be genuinely sorrowful and to desire to never turn to sin again. It is true repentance.
In 1 John 2:1-3, we read, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”
I love this passage. I think it shows the awesome love of Jesus and the Father for us. The call is first that we, who are the children of God, do not sin. However, our fleshly nature is known to take its toll. When we do sin, we have an advocate, someone to step in on our behalf. I love that! This passage ultimately points to the position our heart takes towards the instruction and commandments of God. It is that we will desire to keep them. It is not that we actually keep them perfectly all the time, but that our hearts’ desire is that we will strive to keep them. Just like Jesus teaches us in the model prayer, when we screw up, we are quick to repent and ask for forgiveness. Jesus is simply teaching that we ought not to approach God without thinking about the offensive ways and sins we have caused to a holy, righteous God. We must recognize that those sins were washed with the blood of His Son, Jesus.
Jesus is also correlating this forgiveness we have received from God to something that we do for one another. We love to receive it and claim it for our own sins, but it is all so challenging when we are asked to give some of that forgiveness, or mercy, to others. Even when it is hard, God still asks us to do it! Therefore, it is not impossible! It is just uncomfortable, or not in our nature. I think this is also why Jesus was sure to put this in His example of prayer. He knew we would need to be reminded over and over again of the fact that we have received His awesome forgiveness, so we need to share that with our neighbor. There are many passages of Scripture that deal with this teaching. The Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, teaches forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Listen to David’s heart of repentance. This really sets the tone for how our hearts ought to sound when we approach God regarding our sins.
In Psalm 51:1-19, David says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.”
Do we respond this way to God about our sins? Do we approach Him with this kind of repentant heart? Do we respond the way God does toward our sins? Do we hold a grudge against our neighbor for the harm, hurt, or damage they have caused us? Take time today to reflect on forgiveness, both the forgiveness you receive as well as the forgiveness you ought to give to your neighbor.