Forgive Us Our Debts

What is your favorite Bible verse? This question always stumps me. There are just too many good ones. But if by “favorite” you mean “which Bible verse do you recite most often?” then hands down it’s Matthew 6:9-13. Even those of you who proclaim you don’t know scripture well, probably know this one. It’s the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer that Jesus taught us. My Bible (the NIV) translates it this way: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” I say this prayer all the time when I need to clear my head, when I need to resist temptation, when I am afraid, when I am sad, when I have sinned, when I need to feel God’s presence, when I am confused, when I have no other thoughts of my own to pray… Jesus gave us this prayer saying “This is how you should pray” v.9. I remember someone once told me when you pray this prayer you make it your own by believing in every word and saying it with conviction. Otherwise, it can easily become a rote prayer without meaning. So, every time I pray the Lord’s prayer I say it as my life depends on it. Because I am a sinner, one of the more personal sentences in the prayer is “forgive us our debts….” In my mind I am on my knees, pleading for His forgiveness. And then”…as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Uh oh, right? If we expect God to forgive us, we must also forgive others.

What happens if we don’t want to forgive others? It’s our choice, really. God has given us free will to do what we want. After giving us the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus then says “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15. We can choose not to forgive, but the consequence of not being forgiven ourselves is too great.

The Bible verse I was focused on this week was Luke 5:20 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said Friend, your sins are forgiven”. The small verse is part of a greater picture of Jesus healing a paralytic man. Some men brought this man, lying on a mat, to see Jesus so he could be healed. There were many people crowding around Jesus as he was speaking and the men could not get close to Jesus. The men then climbed on the roof, removed the roof tiles and lowered the paralyzed man to the floor in front of Jesus. It was this faith Jesus is speaking of, the complete belief that Jesus had the power to heal and that they could let nothing get in their way. But what really struck me was that when Jesus forgave the man, not only were his sins removed, but the man was healed. Jesus instructed the man to get up, take his mat and go home. We have no idea what caused this man’s paralysis to begin with, but the significance that forgiveness can be so healing was not lost on me. When we sin, assuming we realize the difference between right and wrong, we feel guilt. Guilt festers making us feel bad about ourselves and leading us to shame. Shame makes us feel alone and helpless. Often, we become angry at ourselves, others or the situation that led us to the sin. Seeing no way out, we are led to sin more. It is a vicious circle. If these negative feelings and actions continue to grow we become angry, bitter, anxious, depressed. These negative feelings can be debilitating, paralyzing. According to the World Health Organization depression is the leading cause of disability around the world. I am not suggesting that depression leads to paralysis, nor am I suggesting that paralysis or illness is caused by sin alone. But I do know from personal experience that the weight of our sin can be so heavy it crushes our soul, leaving us mentally, physically and spiritually drained. However, there is hope. When we bring our sins before God, ask for forgiveness and accept it, we begin to heal. Forgiveness is one of God’s greatest gifts to us. To be forgiven is to be released from the burden of sin. The empty space, that was once filled with shame, guilt, fear, is open to be filled with love, peace, joy. And it is ours to receive, through faith and asking for forgiveness, and by returning the favor to others by forgiving them. I realize that is easier said than done. Let’s talk more about forgiving others next week. For inspiration I will be using 2 Corinthians 2:7 for inspiration “you ought to forgive and comfort him (the sinner), so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”

Love, Melissa