The Lord's Prayer - Petition 5: Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Dr. James Smith
Matthew 6:9-15
9 November 2003
If you grew up in a more traditional type of church, like one of the old mainline Protestant denominations or even the Roman Catholic Church, you may have noticed a very practical issue that arises in the corporate recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.
Now, when I grew up in the United Methodist Church, when we got to this 5th petition, we said, “Forgive us our trespasses.” But when I visited some friends’ Presbyterian churches, for some strange reason they would say, “forgive us our debts.”
Now this may seem to be a rather slight difference and of no real importance, unless of course you are a kid, and you are rambling along with the prayer and you said, “trespasses” out loud when everyone else in the church said, “debts.”
After all the strange looks of, “where could you possibly be from?” and “don’t you know that you’re supposed to say “debts” not “trespasses” and the red-faced embarrassment, you begin to think about the Lord’s prayer in some new and practical ways.
You see, trespasses made perfect sense to me since at the age of 9 ½, my family and I moved from the city and onto a farm. And there was an old career farmer who lived next door named Mr. Miller.
He wasn’t entirely friendly and didn’t think much of city folk either. My brother Scott and I, who were entirely unaccustomed to wide open spaces, loved to roam the acres and acres of fields and woods all around us.
And we soon discovered these curious little signs that were posted on barbed wire fences and on the trees. Guess what they said . . . “no trespassing.” We didn’t exactly know what that meant and so we continued in our exploring adventures.
But farmers as we found out quickly, can be very protective of their lands and one day during our explorations, Mr. Miller showed up out of nowhere with a shot gun and some colorful words . . . “you blankety-blank little kids, get off of my blankety land . . . Now!
And well . . . we did . . . and in hurry . . . at least until the next time.
The 5th petition of the Lord’s Prayer talks about forgiveness and having done a little study into the Greek text of this prayer, there seems to be some ambiguity in the oldest New Testament manuscripts.
Some say, “trespasses,” some say “debts,” while the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11, sometimes says, “sins.”
I guess because of past experiences with Farmer Miller and others, Scott & I would probably identify with “trespasses” since the word behind it means to make or take “a false step.”
But without be-laboring the point, I think that we can all agree that trespasses, debts and sins are all similar in one way or another, particularly as we study this 5th petition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Thankfully, this request of God is not primarily concerned about trespasses, debts or sins, but about the very real human need we all have for forgiveness.
“Lord, forgive us our trespasses, our debts, our sins.”
But notice carefully that there is more to this request. In fact, of all 6 petitions that we find in the Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6:9-13, this is the only one that is conditional by nature.
“Lord, forgive us our trespasses, our debts, our sins as we forgive those who trespass, sin against or owe something to us.
Did you catch the importance of this conditional statement? If you and I desire and need God’s forgiveness (which we do!), then we must forgive others who have hurt or harmed us.
In fact, isn’t it interesting that the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 is immediately followed by verses 14 & 15?
“If you forgive others when they sin against you, God will forgive you of your even greater offenses against Him. But if you do not forgive others, how should you expect God to forgive you.”
But “Jim, you don’t know what I have been through.” “You don’t know how much I have suffered at the hands of certain people.”
And you know what? You’re right. I don’t know what you have been through or how difficult life has been for you. I probably don’t know your pain and perhaps could only imagine how hard it must be.
I realize that some of you here have probably experienced some very, very awful things that go far beyond any casual slights or harsh words from others that we experience somewhat on a daily basis.
Perhaps you are feeling the pain of confidence betrayed or the breaking up of a relationship. Maybe you were abused as a child or have suffered the humiliation of being belittled by teachers, friends, family members or others over the years.
But have you considered, the awful weight and burden of holding on to a lifetime of accumulated offenses.
Anger, resentment, hatred are understandable and very human responses to unjust and unfair situations that inevitably happen to us while we are alive.
But to live our lives holding on to these things is to add personal insult to unjust injury. After all, is it any wonder that so many people have ulcers, nervous breakdowns and are wound up so tightly that they eventually snap?
In his famous chapter on Love in 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul reminds us in verse 5 that Love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs.
One of the best pieces of advice that I ever have received was from a former district superintendent of mine in New York. He told me to “keep very short accounts with people.”
Deal with the problem right away in Christian love and do not allow it to “stew” for a long time and never hold on to it. Let it go!
The Word of God tells us that, “As far as the East is from the West, so has the Lord put away and forgiven us of our trespasses, debts and sins.”
And one of the last things that Jesus said on the cross was, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Before us are these piercing words of Jesus calling us to forgive . . . to cancel debts, to tear up those I.O.U. notes and to forget about other people’s sins for our own good as well as the good of others.
And if all of this is true, then who are we and who am I to live our lives holding on to grudges and unresolved pain. “As far as it is possible, says Paul, live in peace with one another.” And by extension, “Live in peace with yourself.”
I have to confess, while he was alive I did not forgive Mr. Miller in my heart. He had pointed his shotgun at my brother, our friends and myself far too many times it seemed.
One time he even drove into our driveway on his tractor and began to berate and curse out my father in front of me. I wanted to hit him with a shovel but I was chicken.
My brother Scott, who was braver then I, decided to go spray black paint his white farm house one night, evidently to protest against Mr. Miller’s black heart. And you know what, I was glad when he did it.
But Mr. Miller died, his old farmhouse was bulldozed by developers and I have since personally experienced the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
And while maybe it was a bit late, it wasn’t too hard for me to forgive poor old Farmer Miller. Perhaps I would have been that grouchy if I had to work the fields all day. But I really don’t know.
What I do know it that life is too short not to forgive others, not to forgive ourselves and not to receive the forgiveness of a loving and merciful God whom we have mocked and offended with our own trespasses, debts and sins.
Forgiveness is an important key to the joyful Christian life. So travel light while in the flesh so that you may stand in confidence before the Great Judge Himself on that awesome Day of Judgment which will soon take place.
Let’s Pray
