Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
1. We ask God to “forgive us our trespasses.” The Greek verb for “forgive” is aphiēmi, and it literally means “send away” or “let go.” We want God to send away our sins so they no longer negatively affect our relationship with Him. We beg Him to let them go so they no longer stand in the way.
2. The word for “trespasses” comes from the Greek word opheilēma, which refers to a debt, something that is owed legally or justly. What do we owe to God? We owe love, obedience, worship, honor, glory, respect, devotion, attention. The list could go on and on. When we do not pay these debts to God, we sin. We fall deeper and deeper into debt.
4. When we ask God to forgive our trespasses, we are asking Him to eliminate all the debt we have racked up through sin. We are requesting that He send away all those times when we have not loved, obeyed, worshiped, honored, and respected Him and all those times when we have not given Him proper glory, devotion, and attention. We still owe God all these things, but when He forgives us, we can start fresh. We can commit ourselves anew to giving God everything we owe Him.
5. When we pray for forgiveness in the Our Father, we actually place a condition on it. We ask God to forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us. The Greek word for “as” is hōs, and it can mean “just like” or “in the same way.” A few verses later, Jesus explains what the prayer implies: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). Jesus couldn't be any clearer. God will forgive us in the same way that we have forgiven those who have trespassed against us.
6. This truth invites all of us to examine ourselves for unforgiveness. It can lurk in the dark places of our minds and hearts, but we must face it. We must send away the debts of others and let go of everything they owe us and all the times they never paid. Then God will do the same for us.
Let us pray.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
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