Matthew 6:12 is the MEAT of the pray in my opinion:
And forgive us our debts
as we forgive those who owe us
something.
We explore the translations here to truly understand what is
being said since you can read this one of two ways. The way the voice wrote it
is forgive us of debts we owe, so we can forgive us the debts that others owe
us. It leads one to believe this is a pure financial transaction and many of
the Jewish hearing this would consider it that way due to the Hebraic Law from Deuteronomy 15:1 which says:
“At the end of every seventh year, cancel all
debts.”
So as with all of Jesus comments about the Law he tends to “one
up” the written law and say forgive always. Jesus has done this with every law
he touched on, so why not forgiving of debts.
Now if we look at the CJB translation it states:
Forgive us what we have done wrong,
as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us.
This is taking this up to another level and where I believe
Jesus was going in the first place. “Debts” were not just financial debts, but
a deficit between our standing with God. This is what Jesus’ main purpose was
on this earth, to bridge that “debt” between us and God once and for all. So
the “debt” he is talking about are sins that separate us from God.
So I believe this technically should come first before we
come before God to bridge the gap from the start. Confession is key since
without it the “debt” still exists between us an God. So I tend to bring this
to the forefront of my prayers so to ensure God and I are connected and the sin
“debt” is dealt with. Some argue that Jesus handled our sins once and for all
at the cross and therefore confession is just a formality while others (like
myself) say we need to come to the cross every time we fall short and confess
to keep that connection.
Don’t get me wrong, you will not lose your salvation (unless
you absolutely reject it) but your “connection” with God will be cloudy. Pastor
Miller from West Side Bible described it best that sin was a scare tissue that
forms between us an God, the longer we let it God the more hardened our hearts
become and confession is the only way to open that portal to God!! So confess
and tie into God’s love.
The second part is the hard one and also leads us to the
traditional Catholic “Lord’s Prayer” which uses “Trespasses” over “Debts” and I
wonder where that came from. Once Jesus starts explaining this prayer in verse
14 we see where this wording came from in translations like the ESV and the
KJV. Matthew 6:14 also expands the meaning of verse 12 even more (from the ESV):
For if you
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
So dwell on this today and maybe for the rest of your life,
God will forgive you as you forgive others. The thought of that is devastating when
you really start to think of it. Imagine if your child was murdered and you met
the killer, would you response be to forgive them or beat them continuously?
That is when you then apply this to heavenly perspective and these words hit a
soft spot. Imagine after beating this man to an inch of his life you met God
and he forgave you the same way for your sins!!
I am not saying this is easy and used this extreme
analogy not only to drive the point home, but also that it’s not an analogy to
some. In Men’s Step Up one of the regulars stood up to tell his story of
forgiveness after his son’s murder. It was not of him, but of God and that is
the key. Do not harbor bitterness or resentment to any who sin against you in
any way, just forgive and forget. You will not only be healthier here on earth,
your time at “the Pearly Gates” will be enjoyable!! (As I wrote this a song
about forgiveness is being said as the images from Passion of Christ was
playing and the last words I looked up to Jesus being beaten with 40 lashes …
drove it home even more in my head)