Forgive us our debts (Matthew 6:5-15, Luke 6:27-42)
Matthew 6:5-15 (KJV)
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6:27-42 (NRSV)
27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.
August 28, 2016 Sermon Summary
The fourth installment in the Lord’s Prayer sermon series focused on the issue of forgiveness. The sermon began with a reading from the King James Version of Matthew’s sermon on the mount because that is where the language that our congregation uses in the Lord’s Prayer originates. Churches throughout the English speaking world all use slightly different wording when they pray this prayer. Because we are descendants of a Reformed tradition that originated in Scotland and helped create the King James Version, Disciples of Christ congregations tend to use “debts” in our liturgy. Methodists and Episcopalians descend from the Anglican tradition that first used the Geneva Bible in their liturgy. As a result, they tend to use “trespasses.” Either way, the Greek original is the same word that simply means sins.
Praying for forgiveness is something that most Christians are eager to do. We like to claim God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The promise of the gospel is that anything we have done in our past has been washed away and we have the chance to begin again because of grace.
What makes this petition so challenging to us is that Jesus seems to directly tie our forgiveness to the forgiveness we offer to others. This is what we struggle with so much of the time. While we can rationalize that while we are “deserving” of forgiveness because we simply made a mistake, the other person deserves punishment because they really are such a terrible person. This prayer closes off that line of thinking and reminds that we are all equally in need of God’s grace.
Finally, the sermon closed by recognizing that sometimes the person we are unwilling to forgive may actually be ourselves. Although we accept Jesus’ love in the abstract sense, when it comes right down to it, sometimes easier to believe that really only applies to others. In other words, even if Jesus forgives me, I cannot forgive myself. I cannot let go of my past and learn to live into the love that Christ has for me. As a result, I constantly revisit my failures and allow myself to be defined by my weakness. For those of us in this mindset, the Lord’s Prayer is a reminder that we are forgiven just as others are. God’s love and grace is real. I, too, am someone for whom Christ died.
