Dr. Joe Kutter
(Part 4)
Sit or kneel and be fully aware that you are in the presence of God. To kneel is to confess the utter superiority of God. You kneel in the presence of a power and wisdom and love so powerful that it simply commands your loyalty, service and love. We kneel to honor and revere God.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer knowing that in this moment God is paying attention to you just as you are giving your full attention to God.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. (Others use the words “trespasses” and “sins” but the words are clearly “debts” and “debtors”)
When you see or hear the word “forgive” what comes to mind?
Pardon?
Excuse?
Let off
Absolve
Exonerate
If forgiveness pertains to a debt, forgiveness means that the debt does not have to be repaid.
What is the debt? What do I owe to God or what are my obligations to God?
To do God’s will
Obedience
Loyalty
Honor and Worship
The Ten Commandments
“Love justice, do mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah)
“Let justice run down like waters and righteousness like a mighty river.” (Amos)
“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Jesus)
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
To ask forgiveness is to admit that I have not lived up to my obligations, that I have not paid my debt to God.
It is nothing short of an admission of spiritual poverty and the need for the protection of bankruptcy.
Remember that God is a generous God. It is only because you already know God’s generosity that you dare ask forgiveness. Consider the debts to God that are still unpaid. Dare to ask, “Forgive us our debts.”
We tend to think of our obligations and debts to God purely as individual concerns but Jesus taught us to pray “Forgive us.” Jesus believes and teaches that we have both individual obligations to God and shared or communal obligations to God. For example, just as I am in debt to God, so too is our “church” in debt to God.
Who is the “us?"
Who are the groups that, as groups, may have failed to pay their debts to God?
Church
Family
School
Government
Business
_____________________
____________________
____________________
_____________________
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
A thesaurus suggests the following synonyms for the word “as."
Because
Since
Seeing that
While
When
At the same time as
For example
Such as
Equally
To the same degree
To the same extent
So Jesus teaches us to pray,
Forgive us our debts (because) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (since) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (seeing that) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (while) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (when) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (at the same time as) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (for example, as) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (such as) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (equally as) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (to the same degree as) we forgive our debtors
Forgive us our debts (to the same extent as) we forgive our debtors
Jesus teaches us that God’s forgiveness of our debts is profoundly connected to the forgiveness that we offer others.
This is the only petition that receives further commentary at the end of the prayer. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15,
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
As you are fully aware of God’s presence and that God is fully aware of you, what forgiveness do you need to give to somebody else?
An old grudge
A painful memory
A terrible disappointment
A wound on the heart
Who do you need to release from the need for “paybacks”?
____________________
______________________
________________________
_______________________
If we are obligated to God to forgive those in our debt, those who have sinned or trespassed against us, then this may be another moment in which you realize how totally impossible it is to give to God all that is owed to God.
Ask God to flood your soul with the full realization that you are forgiven.
Ask God to grant you the grace, all the wisdom, courage and power, that you need to forgive those who have sinned against you.