The Lord’s Prayer--And Forgive Us Our Sins . . .

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 15:11-32

November 7, 2004

1.  “And forgive us our sins, for [even] we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.” That doesn’t sound right, does it?  Who says the Lord’s Prayer like that?  No one I know!   Most of us learned either “Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors” or “Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” or even “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”  There are versions of The Lord’s Prayer that ask for all three.   What we are asking of God.  Did Jesus want us to ask God to forgive our debts, or our trespasses, or our sins?  What did he say?

2.  It could have been that Jesus had said all three.  If he did, and if his times were like our times, some news reporter would have said, “Sir, last week you said ‘forgive us our debts,’ and this week you’re saying ‘forgive us our sins.’  And someone even heard you say we should forgive ‘trespasses.’” (Mt 6:14).  Are you a flip-flopper?  What do you really believe?  Just how should we pray?”  

3.  If Jesus had said “Forgive us our debts,” as we find it in Matthew, the disciples would have understood.  It was the law!  Every seven years, they were to leave the soil fallow, cancel all debts, free all slaves, and return all property to its family of origin.  Everybody got a new start.  That was God’s plan for their lives.  The idea of a “Sabbath Year” was [is] an extension of the Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.  God wanted everyone to practice “sabbath” [rest] every seven days–stop what you’ve been doing all week and rest for a day, then you can begin the next week with renewed vigor.  So Jesus could have said “Cancel our debts,” and they would have understood.

4.  If Jesus had said “Forgive us our sins, as we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us,” as Luke recorded, the disciples would have understood that, too.  They knew that “sin” meant doing something wrong, or not doing something right.  And, since they were accustomed to wiping the slate clean every seven years and starting fresh, they would have known that Jesus was teaching them to ask God to wipe their slate clean, let them start all over and try to get it right, in the same kind of way the seven-year thing worked. 

5.  But the issue is not ‘debts’ or ‘trespasses’ or ‘sins.’  The issue is forgiveness.”  How does this forgiveness stuff work?  We ask for God to wipe the slate clean, and God does it.  It’s as simple as that.  On God’s side, it’s that simple.  But our side is a different story!  Roberta Bondi tells the story about the time she was a little girl.  It was her birthday, and all she wanted was a new box of Crayolas, the one with 64 colors.  And she got it, too, all wrapped up in pretty paper.  She was so proud of that box; even carried it to Sunday School the next day so everyone could share in her joy.   One little girl, however, was not happy about it.  In fact, she was jealous!  She picked one of the most beautiful colors, and deliberately broke it in half.  Roberta was devastated!  The teacher saw what happened, and told the other girl to apologize.   “I’m sorry,” she said while looking at the floor instead of at Roberta.  Roberta knew good and well that she didn’t mean it.  She could hear it in her voice; she could see in on her face.  Then, as if that weren’t awful enough, the teacher turned to her and told Roberta to accept that insincere apology.  Roberta could not accept it.  It was NOT all right for that jealous girl to break her brand new Crayola.  But the teacher insisted.  All Roberta could do was mutter “It’s okay,” not any more sincerely than the apology.  It’s not easy to forgive!

6.  Forgiveness is exactly what Jesus places before us in the story from Luke.  All three people had to deal with their own unique kind of forgiveness.  The father had to forgive his younger son for squandering his inheritance.  Then the younger son had to forgive himself for making such an arrogant and foolish decision.  That’s a bit harder!  The older brother, though, had the toughest task.  He had worked long and hard all those years with never so much as a “Thank you, son, I’m proud of you”, and here his stupid kid brother comes waltzing back into their lives expecting them to be thrilled!  He had his nerve!

7.  Has that happened to you?  Are any of you finding it hard to forgive something someone has done?  Probably so.  And, if you are, I have only one suggestion: Let God do it!   Jesus is our model.  As he hung on the cross, one of his “seven last words” was “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Jesus did not look them in the eye and say “I forgive you.”  He said, “Father, YOU forgive them.”  His is the very best example we can follow!  The older son could have said it.  “God, forgive my little brother.  I can’t forgive him just yet.”  Roberta Bondi could have said it.  “God, forgive her.  She’s so green with envy that she doesn’t even realize what she’s doing.  Will you forgive her, God, until I can?

8.  Can you say it, too?  Think for a minute about someone who has hurt you; someone who has made your life difficult; someone you cannot seem to forgive.  Then, in the silence of your heart, ask God to forgive that person until the day comes when you can forgive, until you reach the point where it no longer hurts.  God will do that for you.  I promise!  All you have to do is ask.   “Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone indebted to us.”