Matthew 6:12

FORGIVENESS FOR THE FORGIVING

‘Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’

Matthew 6:12

It is with the precious promises of God’s Word before us, and with all the bitter remembrance of our shortcomings behind us, that our Lord bids us bend daily before our gracious Father in heaven, and say in penitence and humility, in love, trust, and hope, ‘Forgive us our debts.’

I. We are forgiven.

(a) Not cheaply, because that would encourage other beings and worlds to rebel and ruin themselves; but,

(b) By the infinite and never-failing love of our all-pitying God, and for the sake of that Divine embodiment of love Who died for us, and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us;

(c) For His Divine, omnipotent sacrifice, which took away the sins of the world, in the face of angels, principalities and powers, and distant worlds, and the wide universe, and things present and things to come;

(d) In order that God may be feared and not defied, that He may be loved and not challenged;

(e) That we may ever be renewed, and in every time of need obtain help from Him that sitteth on the Throne in eternal love.

II. We must forgive.—Among conditions of our forgiveness there is one of which we have daily to remind ourselves. In the very act of prayer we are taught to remember it. The temper that does not forgive cannot be forgiven, because it is itself a proof that we have no idea of the debt we owe.

Archdeacon Sinclair.

Illustration

‘O God, my sins are manifold; sins against my life Thy cry,

And all my guilty deeds foregone up to Thy Temple fly.

Wilt Thou release my trembling soul, that to despair is driven?

“Forgive!” a blessed voice replied, “and thou shalt be forgiven.”

My foemen, Lord, are fierce and fell; they spurn me in their pride;

They render evil for my good; my patience they deride.

Arise, my King, and be the proud in righteous ruin driven!

“Forgive!” the awful answer came, “as thou wouldst be forgiven.”

Seven times, O Lord, I’ve pardoned them; seven times they’ve sinned again;

They practise still to work my woe and triumph in my pain;

But let them dread my vengeance now, to just resentment given!

“Forgive!” the voice in thunder spake, “or never be forgiven!” ’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND MAN’S RESPONSE

I. All forgiveness springs from God’s love.—It is in the sacred Passion that we see so wonderfully how the love of God acts. We may notice it in four particulars:—

(a) God in His great love determined to place before us the way of recovery. God seeks us; He sent His Son.

(b) And then He pleads with us. The Lord pleaded with Judas, Peter, and Pilate. He pleaded in silence on the Cross.

(c) And then, again, we see in the Passion the love that forgives us, interceding. ‘Father, forgive them!’

(d) And then, once more, we see love suffering. There is the wonderful thing—that God in saving us should suffer!

And what we see our Lord did in his Passion He is doing now. He still seeks. He still pleads. He still intercedes.

II. Man’s response.—If we are to lay hold of this forgiveness, what is our part? We must respond. The Lord seeks us; we have got to seek Him. He pleads with us by His Holy Spirit. And then, if He intercedes for us, we must be very careful to respond to His love.

III. The spirit of forgiveness.—But once more, if we are to lay hold upon forgiveness our Lord tells us that there must really be the spirit of forgiveness in us. If you want to return the love of God, St. John tells us very plainly, you must show love to your brethren. If you would respond to this love of God in forgiveness, it means that you must return as well as you can the love of God. And you cannot do that unless you have enough of the spirit of Christ, which is the spirit of love, to all His creatures. The forgiveness of God seeks. We must be ready to seek those who have injured us, to seek them with a view to reconciliation. We must be ready to plead with them, and we must certainly be ready to pray for them; and we cannot have the spirit of Jesus Christ unless we are ready to suffer for them, to take trouble for them. The forgiveness for which we pray in the Lord’s Prayer is not a matter of mere feeling. It is a matter of willingness to seek reconciliation.

—The Rev. James Vaughan.