The Lord's Prayer: A Thoughtful Prayer

This message concludes the series on the Lord’s Prayer.  Some might argue the sermon shouldn’t exist.  Why that’s so should be clear in a bit.  As we enter the Advent season, we will next turn to some of those themes.

Matthew 6:13 (You might have to look hard for it.) 

I really don’t have a text this morning, though most of you could quote it.  Instead, let me tell you a story.

Francis Bellamy was a Baptist minister in Boston.  He was dismissed from his church because of his socialist sermons.   But he isn’t remembered for his sermons—he wrote the Pledge of Allegiance [used by many American schools and organizations] in 1892.  He apparently wrote it for a local school.  Bellamy couldn’t say all he wanted to say;  he had to leave out “equality” because some might think he meant African-Americans and women were to be regarded as equal.  The pledge underwent a few other changes but the most notable has been the subject of debate in recent years.   It wasn’t until 1954 that the words “under God” were added by Congress, after an intense campaign by the Knights of Columbus. 

Many were happy with the change because they believed the words just belonged there.

Some people may have felt the same about the familiar ending of the Lord’s Prayer, “for thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.”   

Most modern translations omit the final words of the prayer as we know it.  The best of the New Testament manuscripts do not have it, so the majority of scholars believe it was never part of the original prayer.  Roman Catholics have never used it.  Still, it is a very ancient way to end the prayer.  Someone, ages ago, believed it was appropriate.

Perhaps some reader jotted down a devotional thought and a later copyist thought it was an omission that needed to be corrected by including it in the new text.  We just don’t know.   Whoever wrote the original words was a thoughtful believer, one who thought of the implications of this prayer and of the Kingdom of God.

This morning I’m going to take these words, not so much as a text, but as a starting point for summing up some thoughts about the Lord’s Prayer.

[Some writers make much of the “changes” in the New Testament text—they even describe them as errors.  They do exist.  Hand-copied manuscripts would almost inevitably have omissions, misspellings, changes in word order, and so on.  At the same time, there were a few additions—perhaps done in a scenario like that I described above.  What’s important to remember is that we have enough New Testament manuscripts that scholars have been able to essentially reconstruct the originals and that none of the changes effect any doctrine or assertion of the text.]

As we pray this prayer we should keep in mind that

The Kingdom is God’s Kingdom.

--We are building a spiritual kingdom, not a political kingdom.

--The Kingdom we are building is governed by God’s rules.  His rules are far different than those of any earthly kingdom.

            Entrance into this Kingdom begins with humility and a confession of profound need.  (“Repent and believe….”)

            Greatness in this Kingdom belongs to those who most seem like servants.  Charles Swindoll was on target when he said,  “In God’s family there is to be one great body of people: servants. In fact, that’s the way to the top in his kingdom.”

            The breadth of this Kingdom is beyond our imagination.  We are to echo Christ in inviting the wrong sorts of people into the Kingdom.  Groucho Marx once received a letter informing him that he had just been accepted as a member in a certain club in Hollywood.  He wrote back to decline the offer, saying, “I could never belong to a club which would have me as a member.”  The membership rules of the Kingdom of God are even looser.

The Kingdom we are building advances no matter how loud the critics, how powerful the opposition, or how “powerless” its agents.

            We think of Iran as a home for radical Islam.  It is also the home of taxi drivers who risk their live to tell others about Christ, where men and woman bravely and joyously submit to baptism to show their loyalty to Christ.  The police beat believers but their threats cannot overcome the appeal of the gospel, their hate cannot trump the love of Christ.

As we pray this prayer we should keep in mind that

The Kingdom Relies on God’s Power.

Recognizing our limits is one of the most important lessons in prayer.  Understanding that God is able to answer our prayers, to do what seems to be so impossible, gives us a sense of security when we pray.

God’s power often moves through us to accomplish the goals of this prayer.

--as we seek to become instruments though whom God’s will is done in this world.

--as we struggle with the power of temptation and the wiles of the Evil One.

--as we face the challenge of forgiving our enemies.  Corrie Ten Boom was in her mid-forties when the Nazis invaded her homeland of Holland.  She and her sister lived with their parents above her father’s watch shop.  They were Christians who felt they had to help the Jews.  They hid them in a special room but were found out and sent to the camps.  Only Corrie survived.  This story comes from a few years after the war.  Corrie often traveled to tell her story and share the gospel.

It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, a former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.” He said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!” His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people …. the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. “You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk, ” he was saying. “I was a guard there. But since that time, ” he went on, “I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein-” again the hand came out-”will you forgive me?” Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I prayed, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.  As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.

So, what for many is the most impossible idea of the prayer, becomes possible because of God power.

As we pray this prayer we should keep in mind that

The Kingdom Exists to Bring God Glory.

Whether we are bowing our head before we enjoy a simple meal or thanking God that a prodigal has come home, we are giving God the praise which is rightfully his.

The atmosphere of the Kingdom reflects the atmosphere of heaven.  John gives us a glimpse of the praise that marks that holy place.

He describes for angelic beings who seem to have the task of calling all of heaven to worship God.

4:8. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was studded with eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:

Holy, Holy, Holy

is the Lord God, the Almighty;

who was, and is and is to come."

 9. Every time the living creatures glorified and honoured and gave thanks to the One sitting on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,

 10. the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before him to worship the One who lives for ever and ever, and threw down their crowns in front of the throne, saying:

11. You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honour and power,

for you made the whole universe;

by your will, when it did not exist, it was created.

After praising God for the glory of creation they turn to his work of salvation.

5:9. They sang a new hymn:

You are worthy to take the scroll

and to break its seals,

because you were sacrificed, and with your blood

you bought people for God

of every race, language, people and nation

Though Jesus invites us to pray for our daily bread, our praying ought to never be just about getting stuff from God; it ought to be about bringing him the praise that is rightfully his.

Conclusion:

Some scholars believe the unknown Christian who added these words to the Lord’s Prayer was inspired by David’s words recorded in I Chronicles 29.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,

The power and the glory,

The victory and the majesty;

For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;

Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,

And You are exalted as head over all.^[1]

David was recalling a lifetime of experiencing God’s faithfulness.  That faithfulness had been seen in many ways.

--It was seen in God bringing the shepherd boy to the throne.

-- It was seen in God’s power that defeated David’s enemies.

-- It was seen in God’s provision in times of hardship.

--It was seen in God’s grace that David had discovered again and again.

None of us have had David’s experiences, but as we think of God’s faithfulness when we pray this prayer, we wouldn’t go wrong if we were to join David and that unknown, well-meaning editor in lifting our voices in praise.

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^[1] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1982, S. 1 Ch 29:10

The Lord's Prayer: A Realist's Prayer

Matthew 6:13

This is a prayer for realists.

Once again, to fully understand what Jesus would have us pray about we need to explore the meaning of a key term.  When most of us hear the word “temptation” we think of an inducement to do evil. Oscar Wilde, whose lifestyle revealed the honesty of his words, used that meaning when he said,  “I can resist anything but temptation.”   The old Christian hymn “Yield Not to Temptation” also uses the word this way.  It cautions us, “Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin.”   The word translated as “temptation” in this verse can have another meaning.  In fact, this other meaning was the usual understanding of the word when Jesus taught this prayer. 

The Greek word peirasmon usually suggests a test or a challenge which proves a person’s character.  We might describe it as an experience which shows what a person is made of.  As such, this temptation is morally neutral.  In fact, some might even argue that the experience is good for us because it proves our mettle, it makes us stronger.   Remember, though, it makes us stronger in the sense of “what does not kill me makes me stronger.”  

There’s no doubt that facing challenges can make us stronger.  Most parents know it’s a mistake to try to make the way too smooth for our children.  That’s  why we resist the practice of giving every player, good or bad, a trophy, why we feel not keeping score in the game is a bad idea.   When God tests us, he has our good in mind.  He wants us to have a stronger faith, a greater assurance.    James describes this process in the first chapter of his letter.

  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

If our Christian life were a smooth road, some of us would never have a chance to grow in our faith.  In this case, peirasmon  is good for us.

Yet, here Jesus instructs us to pray that the Father “lead us not into temptation.”  That’s because the idea here is that the “temptation” or the “test” is designed to hurt us not help us.  It is far from good for us.  It’s aim is to weaken our faith, not enrich it.  We need to understand that these words are never meant to imply that God the Father would lead us into such a situation.  He would never expose us to such powerful, destructive influences.  The words of this petition involve a literary device which states a matter so strongly that we understand the very opposite meaning.  Another example is Romans 1:16 where Paul says “I am not ashamed of the gospel,” a statement that really means “I am proud of the gospel.”  The prayer involves what Greek language specialists call the “permissive imperative” to help accomplish this purpose.

A.T. Robertson’s Word  Pictures helps us understand what this request means.  He says, “Here we have a ‘Permissive imperative’ as grammarians term it. The idea is then: ‘Do not allow us to be led into temptation.’"  Some modern translations express this idea.

Williams: “And do not let us be subjected to temptation, but save us from the evil one.”

The Message:  “Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”

New Living Translation:  “And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

The testing that makes us stronger comes from God, the testing or temptation designed to destroy us—by leading us to sin, doubt, despair--comes from another source.  But what source?

The majority of modern translations render the second part of this petition as “deliver us from the Evil One,” a reference to Satan.  Jesus had no qualms about acknowledging the existence of Satan, that malevolent spirit who is opposed to all God is doing in the world and seeks to curse humankind with the same tenacity that God seeks to bless it.  A prayer to God which begins “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done” stands in absolute opposition to the desires of Satan.  He wants the Kingdom to diminish, God’s will thwarted.

In calling Satan “the Evil One,” Jesus is underscoring his character and ambition.  He is evil to the core and seeks to bring evil to the ascendency in the world.

 He is at work when it is impossible to say “Our Father” without the specter of a human father who was abusive, hurtful, and destructive;   in short, a father who was “evil.”

He is at work when it is delightful to nurture our resentments, delightful to the degree we would never think of forgiving those who have wronged us.

He is at work when the church has become an instrument for oppression rather than the gateway to liberty.

He is at work when racism shapes our opinions of others who may look different but are nevertheless made in the image of God.

Satan has already appeared in Matthew, attempting to undermine the mission of Jesus before it even began.  That’s an implicit reminder that Jesus understands the power of temptation.  Satan failed when he dealt with Jesus.  He is often more successful in dealing with us.  This is why Jesus wants us to realize how much we need God’s protection from this Evil One.

 Sometimes we fail to see our need for that protection.  One poet foolishly dared to ask,

“Why comes temptation but for man to meet

And master and make crouch beneath his foot,

And so be pedestaled in triumph?”

That kind of arrogance puts a person in danger. 

This petition makes the Lord’s Prayer a prayer for realists.  Realists understand their weaknesses.  Realists know they possess a “bent to sinning.”  Realists respond to the story of a fallen brother or sister by saying, “there but for the grace of God go I,” and they really mean it.

The realist also understands that God often acts on our behalf without our knowing it. 

Sometimes I imagine what life would be like if I found a winning lottery ticket on the ground, a ticket worth millions of dollars.  Note I said found.  Or, I’ve wondered what life would be like if I bought a two dollar painting at a garage sale to get the frame and discovered the picture was a long lost Picasso worth millions.  Pat usually says, “God probably knows we couldn’t handle the money.”  My first thought is something like, “Speak for yourself.  I’m pretty sure I could handle it.”  The truth is, God may keep each of us from temptations we might never imagine.  God may disarm some of the Evil One’s traps before we get near them.

This petition teaches us to rest our hope on the grace of God but doesn’t imply that we aren’t somehow involved in cooperating with God in making the answer to this prayer a reality.

How do we do this?

1.  We need to ask God for wisdom to better know ourselves. 

--We each have our own sets of weaknesses.  We are vulnerable in different ways.

--If we know ourselves better, we will be better able to avoid those circumstances where we might become prey to the Evil One.

2.  We need to seek to be attuned to God’s voice.

--God speaks to us though his Word.  The Bible may not discuss issues like using marijuana or CD  piracy but it gives us the principles to judge such behaviors.  The thoughtful application of “gospel principles” can help us face days of moral confusion.

--God may also use the voice of conscience.  No, because we are sinners we can’t always trust our conscience; but, if that conscience is “captive to the word of God,” as Luther said, we can hear it with greater confidence.

3.  We need to find direction and encouragement through the community of faith.

--The church is a fellowship of those who struggle with temptation.  Somewhere in that fellowship there may be a brother or sister who has struggled with the same temptation and known victory. We can learn from them. 

--We are not alone in our battles, unique in our failures.  Most of the “12-step programs” involve some type of fellowship with those who have been in the battle longer, tasted the victory we long for, but never assume they have won the final victory.  The newest believer and the oldest saint each needs to regularly pray, “Lead us not into temptation….”

4.  We need to seek to employ our energies in meaningful ways.

--The notion that “idle hands are the Devil’s tools” is a wise observation.

--We can easily get into trouble when we have nothing positive to do.  I’m not talking about “busy work.”  I’m talking about finding something that gives us a sense of satisfaction.  

5.  We need to be on guard against the danger of pride.

--Paul reminded us that we shouldn’t think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.

--Pride might prompt us to think we can stand on our own, that we don’t need God’s help.  It’s a dangerous place to be.

Conclusion

Failing to face temptation successfully is spiritually disastrous.

1.  It mars our sense of spiritual well-being.   We may even doubt the reality of our relationship with God.

2.  It may wound our fellowship.  Others may feel discouraged and ready to give up.

3.  It may keep a seeker from taking the step of commitment because they wrongly perceive that the Christian life is impossible.

We need to be spiritual realists.

--Admit we need God’s help.

--Admit to the watching world that the church is not perfect but our Lord is.

--Admit that failure is not final.

--Admit that God is the Greatest Realist. 

He knew what we were when he sent his Son to die for us.

He knew what we were when he called us to be his people in the world.

He knew what we were when he commissioned us to advance his kingdom.

The Lord's Prayer: A Sinner's Prayer

This morning (14 November 2015), as I reviewed these notes prior to posting them, the news about the terrorist attacks in Paris was continuing to unfold.  It still isn’t clear how many were killed—somewhere near 130, it seems—or exactly who was responsible—ISIS has claimed responsibility but the French government seems to be suggesting that additional radical groups may be involved.

The attacks are shocking, leaving us wondering how one group of people could do this to another.  To use an old phrase, it reminds us of “man’s inhumanity to man.”  (The recent crash of the Russian jet in Sinai Peninsula may be another such reminder, though the investigation is continuing.) We need to pray for the friends and families of those killed in the attack and for government leaders in France and around the world as they determine how best to respond.

As horrific as the attack was, we don’t have to look far to find examples of such horror on a smaller scale—or at least on a scale unlikely to be covered by news agencies around the world.  Recently, in our city, a man was gunned down in front of his wife and children as the family was leaving a local restaurant; it was an attempted robbery.  In Albuquerque, a toddler was shot and killed while riding in her parents’ car, shot by an angry driver in another vehicle.  It was senseless, a act of “road-rage.”  Beyond such violent, headline-grabbing acts, there are other “sins of commission and omission” committed by ordinary people, by good neighbors, by Christians, by non-Christians, by drug-dealers, and by pastors.  This all reminds us of how much we need this prayer for sinners.

Matthew 6:12

Imagine what some of Jesus’ listeners must have been thinking as he announced the coming of the Kingdom of God.  They knew this would be a Holy Empire, one marked by God’s idea of righteousness.  Even as Jesus invited men and women into the Kingdom, some must have been thinking, “I won’t make the cut.  I’m a sinner.  I would be as welcome as a baked ham on the Passover table.”

Then Jesus began to teach about prayer.  Prayer, he said, should be addressed to “Our Father in heaven,” heaven the place of unparalleled perfection where Isaiah stood before God and cried out, “Oi, I will be destroyed. I am not pure, and I live among people who are not pure….”^[1]  To make matters worse, the very first petition of that prayer was, “may your Name be kept holy.”  At this point, our imaginary listener may have thought, “A holy God would have nothing to do with me.  I’d ruin the Kingdom’s reputation.”  Those fears may have been confirmed by the next petition:  “May your rule be realized as your will is done.”  That settled it.  “How could I ever imagine I could be part of God’s Kingdom,” that listener thought, “I’ve done my own will too long.”

Then, Jesus seems to change the subject and encourages his disciples to pray for bread.  Our listener may have come close to tuning out.  After all, what could Jesus say to such a sinner?  But at that moment, Jesus adds the next petition:  “Forgive us our debts….”  Could that be right?  Did Jesus actually say the holy God of heaven invited sinners to ask for forgiveness? 

Each of us has failed to give God his due;   we are debtors before heaven.  We owe a debt we cannot ever hope to pay.  Who would ever claim to have lived up to God’s demands?    None of us, we all fall short.  Traditionally, we have put it this way:  We have done those things we ought not to have done and left undone those things we ought to have done.

Earlier in this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed that sin is in the thought as well as the act.  Lust reveals our warped sexuality as much as overt adultery.  Hatred betrays our estrangement from our fellow humans as much as murder does.

While there are those who would claim exemption from the indictment, most who acknowledge the existence of a Holy God agree with the old charge “all have sinned.” 

Jesus used the Aramaic term for sin, debt.  While the term also refers to money debt, here it is used figuratively.  We owe God obedience but we have disobeyed.  We owe God honor but we have flouted his authority.  We owe God absolute allegiance but have dallied with “idols” of all kinds.  All the while our debt has been accruing, a debt from which no human agency could provide a bailout. 

Now, Jesus tells us that God is offering forgiveness.  And the forgiveness he offers contains a beautiful promise.  The word translated “forgive” in this verse means to send away.  Jesus is saying that when God forgives us, he sends our sins away from us.  The word is a reminder of the psalmist’s joy over the depth and breadth of God’s forgiveness.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide,

nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Ps 103:8-12)

God offers full and complete forgiveness.  The psalmist’s imagery is thought provoking.  He says God removes our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west.”  Think about this.  How far is the east from the west? 

A few years ago, Pat and I drove to the little town of Tobermory, Ontario.  It’s located at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula that separates Georgian Bay from Lake Huron.  On the way there, we passed a sign indicating we were crossing the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole.  Now, suppose we had winterized the car and kept driving north, on to the North Pole.  The vehicle is, after all, called a Pathfinder.  Anyway, once we got to the North Pole, we could have kept driving but we would have been driving south, not north. 

Now, suppose for our next adventure we decided to see the sights along the Equator.  Again, we would be driving.  Don’t worry too much about the Atlantic and the Pacific;   that’s why they make oversize tires.  If we started out driving east how long would it be before we started driving west?  When would that compass change from “E” to “W”?  Never. 

So, more than 2500 years ago, the psalmist realized that if God removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, we would never see them again.  That’s the kind of forgiveness available when we pray this prayer.  It’s a great thought.

Then Jesus adds a phrase that’s just a little unnerving.  We are instructed to pray, not simply “forgive us our debts,” but “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  When we hear that, some of us want to cry, “Lord, you’ve got to be kidding.  Forgive those who have injured me, those who have wronged me.”

To make matters worse, when Jesus finishes outlining the model prayer, he adds a comment on this petition.  He says,

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;

but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Now, just what is that supposed to mean?

Some read those words and believe Jesus is telling his followers that God forgiving their sins rests on their previously forgiving the sins of others.  It becomes a kind of quid pro quo arrangement, something for something. 

I think these words are hard to understand but I think there are at least three reasons why they can’t mean our receiving God’s forgiveness comes at the price of our forgiving our enemies.

First, it contradicts the notion of grace that runs through the entire gospel.  In its simplest definition, grace is “God’s unmerited favor.”  We cannot earn salvation; it is the gift of God.  All we can do it trust God.  But, if our being forgiven depends on our forgiving the one who injured us, then we have done something, however small, to merit salvation.  In fact, it opens the door to pride.  We can boast of how magnanimous we are in forgiving our enemies.

Second, any scheme that says we have to forgive before we can be forgiven fosters hypocrisy.  Any parent with more than one child knows this.  Still, there are occasions when the temporary insanity that sometimes afflicts parents takes over and we say things like, “Tommy, forgive your sister or you don’t get dessert!”  To this, Tommy will usually reply, perhaps through gritted teeth, “Okay, I forgive you.”  You’re momentarily satisfied but deep down you know that not too long after the dessert is gone, the moment of retribution will come.  God—our heavenly Father—knows this as well.  I doubt he would invite this kind of insincerity.

Third, asking us to forgive our enemies before we are forgiven is putting the cart before the horse or, more aptly, turning the monitor on when there’s no mainframe.  Acts of grace and mercy spring from a heart that has been transformed.  Without that transformation, we are too prone to retaliate. 

So, again, what does Jesus mean when he instructs us to pray, “Forgive our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors?”

Often in the Sermon of the Mount, our inner attitude is the key to what Jesus is saying.  When we come to God, asking for our debts to be canceled, we come with the attitude expressed in the first beatitude.  It says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”^[2]   Jesus is promising God’s blessing to those who know they are spiritual paupers, who know they have nothing to merit God’s favor.  The word translated “poor” is the Greek word for the person who is absolutely destitute. 

When we come to God for forgiveness, we are so aware of the gravity of our offenses that the offenses of others toward us become as nothing.  So, Jesus is not talking about sequence:  forgive others first then you will be forgiven.  He is speaking of something that happens simultaneously with our being forgiven.  Our forgiving those who offend us reveals the depth of our understanding about what happens when God forgives us.

In our schools and neighborhoods, trouble erupts when someone feels they have been “dissed.”  That means they feel someone has shown them disrespect.  It’s nothing new, Lord Wellington had a duel with another Member of Parliament when Wellington was Prime Minister.  Fortunately, both were bad shots.  When Wellington told the king about it, the king approved. 

When we properly understand the nature of our sins, we know we have dissed God far more than anyone has ever dissed us.  Yet, God offers forgiveness to those who have offended him.  How can we do anything else? 

Jesus once told a story that showed the opposite of this principle.

23“The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants.  24As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars.  25He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market. 26“The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’  27Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. 28“The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’ 29“The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’  30But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid.  31When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king. 32“The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy.  33Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’  34The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt.  35And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”

The unmerciful servant didn’t grasp the depth of the king’s grace and so felt no need to show grace to another.

Does this mean we have to forget what has been done to us?  I don’t think so.  I don’t think so because I think it’s all but humanly impossible.  Sometimes people hurt us so deeply that their words and actions lodge in our minds.  The memory is always there.  What is important is how we respond to that memory.  Do we let our memory shape our actions and attitudes or do we allow our experience of God’s grace to subvert how we would ordinarily respond?

C. S. Lewis depicts how we can be both honest about the wrong done to us and true to Christ’s call to forgive.

Real forgiveness means looking steadily at the sin, the sin that is left over without any excuse, after all allowances have been made, and seeing it in all its horror, dirt, meanness and malice, and nevertheless being wholly reconciled to the man who has done it.

Just as God knows all the darkness of our sin and still seeks to be reconciled to us, by his grace, we can know the worst about those who have wounded us and still seek to be reconciled to them.

Conclusion

The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer for all of us because all of us are sinners. We are all burdened with the weight of our guilt.  God offers us forgiveness.  When we receive that forgiveness, the experience is so liberating that all of our relationships are changed.

[If you have read this blog long enough you know this sermon is an update of one I posted in October 2011; in the interests of continuity and your convenience, I have included it in this study of the Prayer.  I would encourage you to look at the version of the sermon from 2011 because it contains a lengthy discussion of the spiritual and psychological danger of resentment, of refusing to forgive another.]

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^[1] The Holy Bible : New Century Version , Containing the Old and New Testaments. Dallas, TX : Word Bibles, 1991, S. Is 6:5

^[2] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1989, S. Mt 5:3