“As We Forgive”
Forgive us our debts toeforgwe,*
Ah who dear Lord, can pray that prayer? The rest with ready zeal is said.
But, self-accused, we falter there.^*
**Ifin my heart has been An unforgiving thought, or word, or look. Though deep the malice which I scarce could brook. Wash me from the dark sin.^*
WRITER says of another, “His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room in it to hold the memory of a wrong.*” This is the true ideal for every Christian heart. We have it in the prayer which we are taught to offer for forgiveness. While we ask God to forgive us, we declare to him that we have forgiven those who are indebted to us, those who have trespassed against us. We say to God that there is no bitterness, no spirit of unforgiveness, in our heart. The language is very strong. In Matthew, according to the Revised Version, the petition reads, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.*” In Luke it is “And forgive us our sins; for we ourselves also for- [181]
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give every one that is indebted to us.“” We cannot use the first part of the petition, asking our Father to forgive us, and not follow with the other in which we declare that we will show to others the same forgiveness which we ask for ourself.
‘* We pray for mercy And thai same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy”
The great importance of this duty of forgiving appears when we remember how repeatedly it is brought before us. When our Lord had gone through the form of prayer, he called the particular attention of his disciples to this petition, in the words, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” On another occasion, when speaking of prayer and the power we may exercise through prayer — “All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received [ 182 ] asitoejForffitje’
them, and ye shall have them,^ Jesus added, “And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.*” Whenever we appear before God, and before we begin to speak to him, we should look into our own heart, and if we find there any bitterness, any feeling of unforgiveness, we should seek instantly to put it away. Indeed we must put it away before we can proceed with our prayer. In one of our Lord’s parables we have the same lesson taught again in most emphatic way. Our debt to God is represented by ten thousand talents, a vast sum, while our neighbor’s debt to us is only a hundred pence — less than one millionth part of the ten thousand talents, a proportion so small as to be almost inappreciable. We fret and chafe over the wrongs and injuries done to us by others, as if they were really enormous. This view of the greatness of our sins against God in comparison with the [ 183 ]
Cl)e <2&olDen (S>ate of Ptapet evil our neighbor has done to us, should make us ashamed of our bitterness. God forgives our vast debt, our ten thousand talents, freely and fully. The behavior of the servant who had been forgiven by his lord, toward his fellow-servant whose debt to him was so small in comparison, is too often repeated by those who claim to have received Gods forgiveness and then go out to exact of others the last farthing. The closing words of the parable we should never forget. The old debt to God once remitted comes back with all its crushing weight: “So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.*”
A lesson which is taught so plainly by our Lord and emphasized by so many repetitions must be a most important one. The duty of forgiving others is not merely one of the refinements of Christian culture, something which adds to the beauty of a Christian character, though not essential to it; rather it is a vital [184] a0toe jrotffftie’
element in every true Christian life. Unless we have forgiven those who have wronged us, or are ready to do so from the heart, we cannot ask God to forgive us. Luther uses strong language: “When thou sayest, * I will not forgive,’ and standest before God with thy precious pater noster, and mumblest with thy mouth, * Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,’ what is that but saying: * I do not forgive him, and so do not thou forgive me. Thou hast told me to forgive, and rather than obey I will renounce thee, and thy heaven, and all, and be the deviFs for evermore’.?” We look to our Lord’s life for the exemplification of all his teachings. It is easy to find many illustrations of this lesson of forgiveness in the gospel story. The patience of Jesus under wrong and injustice was wonderful. Indeed the more his heart was hurt the more of gentleness and love did it give out. There are certain fragrant trees which bathe in perfume the axe that cuts into their wood. So was it with the life of Jesus. [ 186 ]
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Wrong or injury done to him only drew out more tenderness, sweeter love. We have a remarkable example of this in the very moment of crucifixion. It was when the nails were being driven through his hands and feet that he prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.“”
We pray to be made like Christ, that his image may be impressed upon us; but we cannot be like Christ unless we have the spirit of forgiveness. Too many people who call themselves Christians seem to give little thought to this phase of the Christian life. They may seek to be honest, truthful, just, and upright, but they pass over the duties of love. There is a great lack of tenderness in many lives. Yet we cannot read the New Testament without finding the lesson of gentleness on every page. In the culture of our Christian life we are exhorted to put away every trace of bitterness, and to gather into our character everything that is kindly and loving. “Be ye angry, and sin not: [186] ‘’astoe jForffitie’
let not the sun go down upon your wrath.*” ‘*Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.’’ “Put on therefore, ... a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye.“” These quotations show the tone of the whole New Testament. But how close to these teachings is the church of Christ living? Are we not all disposed to be too keenly alive to anything in others which appears to touch us unkindly? We praise love, but do we live it? We want other people to practise forgiveness, but when one has wronged us, we are slow to practise it ourself.
The lesson is not an easy one to learn. It is
against nature. Only the grace of God in us
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will enable us to forgive. The spirit of forgiveness is really the shedding abroad in ns of the love of God by the Holy Spirit. When we know that we are forgiven we are born anew, born from above; heaven has come down into our heart. We receive Gods forgiveness, when we receive it truly, not as something to keep only for ourself, but as a blessing which we are to spread abroad, whose grace we are to manifest and extend to others. It is thus that all God’*s gifts are to be received. He gives us comfort in our sorrow, not for ourself alone, but that we may dispense it, comforting others with the comfort wherewith we ourself have been comforted of God. He delivers us in temptation, that we may strengthen our brothers in their temptation. He gives us his own joy, not to hoard for oiuself, but that we may become the bearer of joy to others. He puts his love into us, that om* heart may become a fountain of love in this world. So when God forgives us, he would have us represent him among men, show- [188] ‘’astoe Jfotffitje’
ing in our own disposition and conduct what the divine forgiveness is. If we are revengeful, resentftd, unforgiving, how can the world learn from us the sweetness, the freeness, and the fulness, of the divine forgiveness? The Koran says that two angels guard every man on the earth, one watching on either side of him; and when at night he sleeps, they fly up to heaven with a written report of all his words and actions during the day. Every good thing he has done is recorded at once and repeated ten times, lest some item may be lost or omitted from the account. But when they come to a sinful thing, the angel on the right says to the other, “Forbear to record that for seven hours; peradventure, as he wakes and thinks in the quiet hours, he may be sorry for it, and repent and pray and obtain forgiveness.*” It is thus, indeed, that God deals with us. He is slow to see our sins or to write them down against us. He delights in mercy. The father ran to meet the returning prodigal. We should [189]
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have the same spirit toward those who do any wrong to us. We should be slow to record the evil that they do and swift to set down every kindness we receive from them. Is it not too often just the reverse of this with us? Are we not quick to believe evil, to take offence, to feel hurt, to charge against our neighbor wrong motives or intentions? And axe we not slow to find love in what he does, to apologize for what seems to be unkindness, to spread the veil of charity over his failures in courtesy, and his neglects of the duties of affection? It will help us in learning this lesson of forgiveness to remember that it is not our prerogative to sit in judgment on the conduct of others. Judgment belongs to God alone. Our duty is, when wronged, to bear it patiently, praying for those who despitefully use us, committing our case to God. “Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto wrath: for it is written. Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. But if thine [190] ‘’90toe Jfotgftie’
enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.“”
Thus the lesson comes to us, written out in plainest words. We should seek to learn it, for it concerns our most sacred interests. To refuse to forgive others is to shut the door on our own hope of forgiveness.
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