You likely recognize this request as part of the Lord’s Prayer that we pray together in worship. Some translations state “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” while others simply say “Forgive our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” Jesus taught his followers to pray this way, not as a matter of reciting the words but as a posture of coming before God to seek both forgiveness and the ability to grant that forgiveness to others.
In preparing for the upcoming class I am teaching, “Do You Believe THAT?” (www.peachtreechurch.com/Believe), I’ve been reading through the confessional statements from the Presbyterian Church Book of Confessions as well as thoughts, comments, and insights from others who help to interpret them. I was both encouraged and deeply challenged by what author Andy Styer wrote about this part of the Lord’s Prayer in his analysis of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. He observed that this petition,
“…reminds us of our sin. It reminds us of our need for a savior. It reminds us of our need for Jesus Christ. And not only does it remind us of our sin, and our need for God's forgiveness for our sins, but it also reminds us of the call to forgive others, "as God in Christ forgave you.” It's really teaching us a wonderful truth. If we can be forgiven by God, as we most certainly are when we are trusting in Jesus, then we can most definitely forgive anyone who may "sin" against us! Despite our offense to a thrice holy God, we rest in knowing our forgiveness is certain. Because our forgiveness is certain, then we can certainly forgive others. And we're not only, through this portion of the Lord's Prayer, asking God to forgive us in Christ, but also asking for the grace to be gracious in forgiving others.”
I have a long way to go in being able to live this out this grace. I want forgiveness from God, but I’m not so quick to forgive others who have hurt or betrayed me. Nevertheless, I say the Lord’s Prayer almost every Sunday. I need to struggle with and grapple with this truth, asking God for grace upon grace to live out these words willfully and purposefully.
Maybe you are doing fine with forgiving others. Or maybe, like me, you would like to spend some time this Lenten season deeply pondering what God might be saying to you and seeking the Holy Spirit’s strength to live out that call.