Lord’s Prayer 12: As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us Series

Lord’s Prayer 12: AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US

As a young priest, John Wesley spent a short time in Georgia, USA serving as a missionary in Savannah whilst his brother Charles served as chaplain to the governor.

On hearing the general say, 'Sir, I never forgive', John Wesley replied, 'Then I hope, sir, you never sin!'

The Lord's Prayer makes it very clear that we cannot experience forgiveness unless we ourselves are forgiving.

It is easy to understand why Augustine of Hippo called it 'the terrible petition'.

'As we forgive' does not mean 'in the degree that we forgive'. God does not measure out forgiveness and nor should we.

Nor does it say ‘because we forgive’, God forgives us. God is there first and it would be wrong to suggest an attempt to bargain with God.

We cannot earn God’s forgiveness by the way we treat those who have wronged us.

Forgiveness is an offer of divine grace and is therefore freely given…. Given to us by our Father’s good grace and as children of our Father so we also give.

Forgiveness freely received and freely given.

Our actions showing that we really do believe in forgiveness and want to put it into practice.

Perhaps the best commentary on this aspect of forgiveness is found in the teaching of Jesus himself… Peter asked, 'How often should I forgive? As many as seven times?' …

Jesus said to him, 'Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times' (Matthew 18:21-22).

The number seven represents completeness. In saying 'seventy-seven times', Jesus went much further… infinitely.

Jesus took forgiveness out of the realms of the legal and the calculated by teaching that we should forgive until we have lost count.

If we do not forgive we can become embittered and embittered people are their own worst enemies.

Negative attitudes in one relationship spill over into others and all too easily diminish our capacity for love and sensitivity.

We become cynical as old grievances are nursed and anger and resentment build up, it eats away at out hearts.

It eats into our peace of mind and destroys all sense of wholeness and inner harmony.

By refusing to forgive, we diminish ourselves, as Paul says, in his hymn of love: 'Love keeps no record of wrongs' (1 Cor 13:5).

To hold grudges or to nurse grievances, to catalogue offences or refuse to speak to those who have wronged us is contrary to the spirit of Christ.

We need to ask for God's help in dealing with all such negativity, so that gradually our anger and bitterness will abate and we can discover a more positive and gentler attitude of heart and mind.

In a very real way if we refuse to forgive, we imprison ourselves in the past and so yield control of our lives to those who have wronged us.

After the Holocaust, an immigrant rabbi said, 'Before coming to America, I had to forgive Adolf Hitler. I did not want to bring Hitler inside me to a new country. ' ..

Although in our minds we may understand the need for forgiveness, and the importance of forgiveness, it is still not easy to put it into practice.

Indeed, even with the best will in the world, it may well take months, even years before we are really able to forgive and to forget.

Feelings of hurt and pain do not disappear overnight and it would be quite wrong to pretend that they do.

After all, Christianity is about authenticity and depth. Glib answers rarely satisfy and superficiality helps no one.

Of course it is tempting to hold on to our grievances, to cling to the status of 'victim', and wallow in the sympathy that may go with it.

But in our heart of hearts we know that this is not the way of maturity.

The good news is that in Jesus Christ there is plenty of room for hope. He offers healing for our hurt and help with the often long drawn-out task of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not dependent upon our feelings; nor is it simply an emotional response to the situation in which we find ourselves.

Our feelings are probably hurt and confused, and may be anything but the right basis upon which to build appropriate action.

Forgiveness usually begins with an act of will, but it has to become an ongoing attitude rather than just a decisive act.

In gratitude and obedience to God, and following the example of Jesus, we make a determined choice to forgive those who have wronged us.

Then we seek to put into practice a positive attitude of forgiveness and love.

There is always the danger that when we become obsessed with the wrongs done by others, we lose our sense of perspective and forget that we also need the forgiveness of God.