Scripture

“If you forgive others who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.”

Observation

Jesus gives us the model prayer for disciples. The prayer is succinct, not like the prayers of pagans with their endless repetitions and high sounding language.

If we forgive others, we will be forgiven. If we do not forgive others, then God will not forgive us.

Application

To follow Jesus is to imitate him. This should be reflected above all things in our readiness to forgive other people.

If we hold onto the bitterness of past hurts, how can we claim to be following the Lord whose last words on the cross included “Father forgive them” ?

This is easier to do for some people than others. It is also easier to do according to the level of hurt we have experienced. People experiencing violence or sexual abuse will take time to get to the point of letting go.

Regardless, the goal for christians is that we are able to forgive those who hurt us. When we do that, we know that the grace of God is in our hearts and that God’s love will also overlook our own sins.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for your great grace towards me. Please help me to be gracious in being able to forgive others. Amen.