Lord's Day 50

There is a story often told of two small churches who decided to try to come together to share their resources and ministry, one a Methodist church, the other a Presbyterian. In a spirit of unity and graciousness the two congregations peaceably determined which property to keep, what missions to support, and even what color the new carpet in the sanctuary should be. On the first morning of their combined worship, everything went beautifully until they came to the Lord’s Prayer when the Methodists said “trespasses” and the Presbyterians said “debts”; no agreement could be made and the churches divided because of their sins. 

Debts, trespasses, sins; every denomination seems to have their tradition regarding the Lord’s Prayer. The Greek word that is used in Matthew implies something that is owed, i.e. a debt or obligation. In Luke’s record of the prayer, he uses the Greek word for “sin,” which can also be translated as “wrongdoing.” The word “trespass,” while not used in the Lord’s Prayer, is synonymous with sin, suggesting a deviation from living according to what has been revealed as the right way to live. 

Regardless of the word we use in the prayer, we have sinned, we have transgressed God’s law, we have trespassed the boundaries of right and wrong, and we stand before God with a debt of sinfulness greater than we could ever repay. However, as the Spirit teaches in Colossians 2:13-14 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses… God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” 

In Christ we are forgiven from our sins. The debt has been nailed to the cross. For all who call on the name of Jesus will be saved, our trespass forgiven, and we are made new. The fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t teach us that we daily need to seek justification before God, we have been justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Rather, this is a prayer for the restoration of personal fellowship with God when that fellowship has been hindered by sin (Eph 4:30). Those who have received such forgiveness should be so moved with gratitude toward God that they also eagerly forgive those who have sinned against them.