“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Matt 6:12-15, 18:21-35
The traditional words of the Lord’s Prayer appear confusing to us because about the only place we see the word trespass these days is on a sign attached to a gate or fence. The message is usually pretty clear. It means do not enter, no climbing this gate and set foot on this land. Trespassing has something to do with going onto private property where you are not welcome. More than one person has commented to me that the newer versions of the Lords Prayer with the word ‘sin’ inserted for trespasses is a huge improvement. Trespassing just doesn’t seem to be the right word. If you go back into history you’ll discover the Anglican’s are to blame for this because using one of the earliest English translations of the New Testament by William Tyndale in 1526 the Anglican prayer book picked up this word trespass and it’s been there ever since.
If we go back to Matthews gospel we find that the original word he uses at this point in the prayer is the word debts. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Originally the prayer was about money. You may be interested to know that traditionally in Scotland they didn’t follow the English and they retained the word debts when they say the prayer, but that may also have something to do with their character and reputation
An Arab Sheik was admitted to St Vincents Hospital for heart surgery, but prior to the surgery, the doctors needed to store his blood in case the need arose. As the gentleman had a rare type of blood, the call went out throughout the United Kingdom. Finally a Scot was located who had a similar blood type. The Scot willingly donated his blood for the Arab. After the surgery, the Arab sent the Scotsman, as appreciation for giving his blood, a new BMW, diamonds, and a large sum of Scottish pounds. A couple of days later, once again, the Arab had to go through a corrective surgery. His doctor telephoned the Scotsman who was more than happy to donate his blood again. After the second surgery, the Arab sent the Scotsman a thank-you card and a box of chocolates. The Scotsman was taken aback that the Arab this time did not reciprocate his kind gesture as he had the first time. Maybe there was no need for a BMW this time but just chocolates? He phoned the Arab and asked him: “I really appreciated your generosity but how come this second donation of blood only gets a thank-you card and a box of chocolates?” To this the Arab replied: “Och aye, but I have Scottish blood in my veins now!”
The Scots have a certain reputation for hanging on to their money! Maybe God in his wisdom has kept the original version of the prayer alive in that part of the world…just to remind them to loosen up the strings to their wallets.
For that’s what this part of the prayer is about. It’s about opening up hearts and forgiving, and letting go. It’s about forgiving debts and giving people another chance. It’s about letting go of the burdens and resentments we carry around. It’s about releasing the hurts, the angers, and the thoughts of getting even. It’s about sorting out relationships and being honest instead of hiding behind masks of niceness. It’s about building a community where people can be honest. We do hurt one another, that it seems is part of humanity. But the good news is that we can forgive and put in work to sort things out. We can resolve the hurtful things said, the thoughtless actions, the trust broken. If we really want to we can dig out the root of resentment and bitterness that sits there like the root of a dandelion or convolvulus. I’m trying to get rid of some convolvulus in our garden right now and I don’t think I’m winning. Just a little bit of root left and there it is back again. It doesn’t help that the neighbour from where it’s coming from doesn’t share my enthusiasm for getting rid of it, and that’s often an issue in the human sphere as well. It’s helpful if all parties are committed to working at resolving the issue, but I’m not going to give up. Maybe I’ve got to do some creative thinking, and maybe I’ll need to get some outside help. I know if I don’t attend to the convolvulus it will slowly take over and strangle the good plants and I don’t want that. Nursing hurts and grievances in our own lives can have the same result. Just as God is merciful and forgives us we can be merciful people who are committed to living with peaceful hearts instead of hearts that nurse resentments and hurts.
If we think for a moment about why Matthew uses the form forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, we may discover some important points. Along with acquiring enough food and bread for today, debt was the main peril in peasant life. When you live hand to mouth it only takes an illness that prevents work to mean a loan is sought and the slippery slope of indebtedness is embarked upon. Failure to repay debt may mean loss of possessions, family land, selling yourself, or even your family into slavery. This was an all too common experience. Jesus, as indeed the laws of the Old Testament did, preached mercy and forgiveness of debt. Jesus, as did the laws of the Old Testament, preached compassion and giving people another chance. This could be by a system of forgiving debt at regular intervals, or simply promoting the concept of mercy. The petition in the Lord’s Prayer following on and expanding the petition about the kingdom of heaven on earth (as did the petition about bread) simply cries out for debt forgiveness. As God forgives our debts, so we are called to be people of mercy and forgive our debtors. Everyone is to have enough, and no-one is to be enslaved forever by economic misfortune. Debt forgiveness is about finding the heart of God within ourselves and within our community. It is to seek the way of open generosity –of mercy – it is to be radically different.
Of course we live in a very different world and when we pray the petition we are not usually thinking about monetary debt. But the deeper issues of mercy and generous hearts remain the same. We pray, ‘may our sins be forgiven’ and we are asking God to be merciful with us. Susan Derber’s prayer which I’ve printed on our order of service I think openly and honestly explores this petition from a personal perspective. When we pray for God’s forgiveness we need to honestly look into our own lives and see the things that need to be dealt with. This is more than simply looking at the wrong things we may have done or not done. Dealing with sin is about discovering who we are before God, and learning what it is that motivates our lives. It is being prepared to look within and to honestly get to know ourselves in the light of Jesus. It is to let the Spirit speak from the deep silence revealing to us our fears, insecurities, and our so called needs. Self inspection is a long practiced tradition in our Presbyterian tradition and it is a good one. It can only be practiced within a belief that we are deeply loved, and God’s mercy is overflowing and wide. Within this mercy our failures can be faced, and we can learn and grow.
Much of what we call sin is also deeply embedded in our way of life, and the norms of our society. It took a William Wilberforce and others to expose the dreadful sin of slavery. It is taking a new group of reformers to expose the evils of an alcohol industry that captured the minds of our nation and blinded us to the truth of what is really going on. 34% of family violence is alcohol fueled, 30% of offences reported to the police are alcohol related, about 70% of admissions to our chronically overworked Emergency Department on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights are alcohol related. Maybe you might think that’s how God wants things, but somehow I don’t think so, and so I pray ‘forgive us our sins’. But I also ask in the same breath what can I do to be part of resolving this? God, and you and I can work at forgiveness and healing together.
Jesus asks us to look at our sin, our separation from God, but in the same breath to look at our relationships with others. Forgive us our sin as we forgive those who hurt us. To pray that we would also forgive others is something Jesus repeats often in his ministry. The seriousness of the prayer is brought out clearly in the parable of the unforgiving servant who forgiven by the king turns around and refuses to forgive a fellow official. The king is furious when he hears of this refusal to forgive and the unforgiving servant suffers. I sometimes wonder if this suffering is not carrying the burden of unforgiven and unresolved hurt, bitterness, and resentment that must have taken root deep within his heart. Holding onto resentment and hurt inside is a huge burden to carry with you, and invariably it will like the convolvulus threaten to strangle your own life in some way.
We all know people who have experienced betrayal, hurtful comments, even brutality in their lives that has left them deeply wounded. Sometimes this is within families, at work, or in society in general. It can be exceedingly painful and will rarely be solved easily. Often it will require skilled intervention, but try we must if we are followers of Jesus. Seeking forgiveness is a vital part of our Christian journey.
What I think is far more common are the smaller incidents that we all face in our daily lives which cause us to feel grieved. It may be an insensitive comment, an opinion expressed which we disagree with, or simply someone in our family doing something that irks us. Too easily we ‘forgive’ by brushing it under the carpet, and saying it doesn’t matter – but usually we tuck it away somewhere. Most of us avoid conflict, we simply don’t do conflict well in New Zealand. Maybe there’s too much open space to escape to. But when we don’t learn to deal with sorting stuff out I think become good pussy footed creatures who are afraid to be open with one another. That situation is good for none of us. Being forgiving people means we are not afraid to sort out the small stuff because we believe in a love that accepts us and holds on to us no matter what. In this family of God we are called to be different, people who practice the art of forgiveness even in the small things.
Keep praying the Lord’s Prayer, and keep working at it
Our Father, forgive our sin and may your mercy inspire us to work at improving all our relationships.

Dugald Wilson 5 Feb 2012