Matthew 6:14-15
The key word in these two verses is "forgive". Jesus is drawing a direct connection between the way that we forgive others and the way our Father will forgive us. This ties directly to the second last imperative of the prayer that Jesus modelled for his audience: "Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." What I would expect Jesus to say is, "Forgive others when they sin against you because your heavenly Father has forgiven you." However, that is not what Jesus says. He says that if we forgive others, our heavenly Father will forgive us. Receiving forgiveness is dependent on how I give forgiveness.
Jesus explains this further in the parable of the unforgiving servant. He is forgiven by the Master but then goes out and demands payment of a debt that he is owed. The Master then "un-forgives" the servants debt and has him sent to prison. In that story, the servant is first forgiven but it is a conditional forgiveness based on how he treats others.
In both passages what is clear is that Jesus expects me to reflect God's mercy as demonstrated to me in his forgiving me by demonstrating forgiveness to others. In both passages, what is clear is that my ultimate forgiveness depends on how I treat my fellow human-beings. Some people might try to say that it is my experience of forgiveness that depends on my treatment of others but Jesus makes it clear that it more than my experience, it is the actual forgiveness itself.
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1 comment:
It is interesting, because your whole sunday school life you are teaught that you are forgiven by God. This is never mentioned. It states clearly here that we need to forgive others, just as God has forgiven us. But if we do not then God will not forgive us. This makes things a little different. It totally makes sense though, and that parable is a prime example, may we forgive others and accept the forgiveness that Jesus gives us.
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