Forgiveness is central to both the Lord’s prayer and the Bible as a whole. It was the foundational purpose of the ministry the Tabernacle and Temple and of the sacrificial death of Jesus. Jesus’ prayer for us from the cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), resounds to us through history to release from the burden of sin all those who come to Him in repentance.
Immediately after teaching the prayer to His disciples, Jesus emphasised again the importance of our forgiving others so that we too might be forgiven (Matt 6:14-15).
God’s Heart of Mercy
The importance of forgiving others was also taught to Peter when he asked how many times he should forgive someone who had sinned against him (Matt 18:21-22). Peter offered a ‘generous’ suggestion of seven times, which Jesus multiplied up to a symbolic 70 times, to show how much we should have the attitude of forgiveness for others. This came as a surprise to Peter, just as it might to us, especially if we read the way many of the Psalms call down curses on the enemies of Israel.
Was something new released when Jesus taught His disciples to forgive as they also asked Father for forgiveness? The nature of God did not change at this time, who had made provision for forgiveness for His people when He led them as a nation through the wilderness. Nor were the principles of the Law of Moses compromised, nor the consequences of sin that is not atoned for and forgiven.
Jesus taught about God’s heart for mercy – a heart that He also wants us to have. The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) illustrates this. It was through the son’s returning in repentance that the father could give forgiveness. Nevertheless, the father’s heart was shown by the fact that even though the son was allowed to suffer the consequence of his sins, the father longed for his return.
Forgiveness: A Spiritual Transaction
So what is forgiveness? The two main Hebrew words used for forgive bring some understanding. One word is salach, meaning ‘to pardon’. The other is nasa, a word with wide applications associated with ‘lifting up’. Together these words show us that when someone sins, they carry a burden that must be lifted away through the one ready to pardon them.
The same willingness to pardon must reside in us so that when someone asks us for forgiveness, that person is totally released of the burden.
This is a spiritual transaction. Experience shows that if we have the nature of harbouring grudges and find forgiveness difficult, then we can bring spiritual harm to ourselves, like a cancer of bitterness or resentment eating into our inner being. That is how important it is for us to be like our Father in Heaven - sorrowful for division between ourselves and others on account of sin, and ready to lift away their burden immediately they ask forgiveness from us.
The Power to Forgive
The attitude and act of forgiveness bring spiritual healing and restoration. This is what Jesus wants between us all and between us and the Father. It is as important as His going to the Cross for us.
His sacrifice enabled the release of spiritual power that lifts our burden of sin when we ask forgiveness of the Father, and also enables us to forgive others when they ask for our forgiveness. In this respect it was indeed a new thing when He taught His disciples to pray in this way. We are now enabled, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to forgive just as we are forgiven.
Author: Dr Clifford Denton