…and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
How many of us love others as Christ has loved us? How many of us extend joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control as it has been measured to us by the Holy Spirit?
I can say for sure that the love that I have shown to others has often been a broken and some times dim reflection of the love that Christ shows me. Question: does my imperfection limit God’s love toward me? Absolutely not.
Scholars believe that this phrase in the Lord’s Prayer does not serve as a limiting factor to the forgiveness of God.* Our broken ability to pass on the forgiveness of God to others does not limit His ability to forgive ours. Scholars believe that this prayer is a goal more than a limitation of His ability.*
This prayer reminds us that we have no right to seek forgiveness for ourselves if we refuse to extend it to others. In fact, our broken ability to reflect forgiveness to others implies that we never have the right to seek forgiveness for ourselves if not for the grace of Jesus Christ to extend it.
This thought is humbling. How good is our King?!
Not only does this prayer remind us of our desperate need for forgiveness, and the need to extend it to others, but it reminds us that those around us who need our forgiveness are people too.
Notice that the verse mentions our debts forgiven and our forgiving debtors. There’s no such thing as “this is just business; it’s nothing personal.” We don’t forgive debts just because our debts were forgiven. We are called to forgive the person. It’s very personal.
It reminds us that the forgiveness extended to us by Jesus was also very personal. He cares about you. He cares about me. He asks that we care about others in a similar way.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to release someone in your life who has wronged you. Perhaps He wants you to release yourself. Maybe God would have you ask for forgiveness for things that you have done that have hurt His heart. Perhaps your heart has been hurt because He didn’t meet your expectation, and you need to release God of that expectation.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 147-148, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 6:9-13) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).