Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Did Jesus demand that we forgive others? In the scriptures lies the prayer point: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. But what does it mean? Think about it.

We often talk about faith that we forget to forgive. You may say to me, “But my faith is about forgiveness.” Of course, of course. I've listened to people of faith pray and say troubling things about people who offended them. So, yes, I get it.

But that's not to generalize. I understand that people differ on opinions, including their opinions about faith. There are those who are comfortable with treating people with love regardless of how they're treated by the same, while others choose an eye for an eye.

There is a saying, “Two wrongs can't make a right, but they make an even.” It seems the latter group of people prefer being even to being right. But what's with all that? Hold on, let's dive into this prayer portion from a teaching of Jesus: Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Forgive Us Our Trespasses Meaning

The statement, “Forgive us our trespasses,” is derived from a teaching believed in the scriptures to have been from Jesus. It was accounted for in the Gospel according to Matthew and Luke, and no such statement was found in Mark or John. How did it come about?

According to the Gospels, the disciples of Jesus were with him after he returned from praying, when one of them brought up the idea that John taught his disciples how to pray. Therefore, he requested that the Lord should do likewise for them. Oh, that narrative is what you get from Luke's account.

In Matthew's account, however, Jesus was giving a sermon addressing people who prayed hypocritically, condemning the act. In the process, he suggested to the people how they ought to pray. In that, we have the famous Lord's Prayer, which is the longer form, and Luke's version is the shorter. This is evident in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4.

What intrigues me is that if these sermons, long and short versions, were given at different times, why did the disciple in the latter request to be taught, having heard the other? Perhaps the shorter version was presented to them before Matthew's version was made known to the people. If that were the case, why didn't both authors account for the other scene independently?

Nevertheless, in the teaching, the statement translated as “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” was made in Matthew 6:12 and Luke 11:4. But the common translation is often different in terms of the use of the word “trespasses” with “debts” as follows.

Matthew 6:12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

A debt is something owed to someone, while a trespass is an action beyond the acceptable limits. They are different in reference but synonymous in meaning. When one is in debt, it means they've not paid their dues, deemed a wrongdoing and offensive; the same applies to an invasion of perhaps another's privacy—it is deemed a wrongdoing and an offense. What we have here are wrongdoings, generally considered sins.

So, in case your translation has the term “debts” in it, as shown above, you shouldn't be offended by my utilization of trespasses. We were taught from childhood to memorize it that way. The key, as I pointed out, is with wrongdoing and the request for God's forgiveness to be given. But on what basis is it received?

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

Perhaps I should have used ”requested,” but I want to emphasize the simile in the statement. The request for forgiveness is likened to the requesters' display of a forgiving attitude, thereby setting a precedent. But is it acquired on that basis? Keep that somewhere.

Let's briefly examine the state, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” First, we'll have to divide it into two parts: forgive us our trespasses (1) and as we forgive those who trespass against us (2). Consider the "and" to be the dividing line.

As I pointed out earlier, the first part is a point of request to God. The request is for God to pardon our trespasses or wrongdoings, therefore holding us not guilty of any wrongdoing. But the second seems to suggest the basis that it should be done: as we pardon those who do us wrong and don't hold it against them in our hearts. That isn't to say that we can't learn from them. I learned to forgive but not forget, and that's a good thing, I guess. The case is with forgiveness, not forgetting.

However, someone may easily object to the point about God forgiving those who are forgiving, pointing to God's forgiveness of believers in Christ. They may say, “God doesn't need you to forgive in order to be forgiven; you only need to believe that he forgave you at the cross of Christ.” I think that's a common position, but it presents a clear antithesis. This is something that gets overlooked or reinterpreted in the contrary.

Have you ever wondered if the people at the time reasoned that way? Did they believe someone would die to forgive all their wrongdoings, regardless of what they did and still do to others, granted that they kept believing? What if Jesus' crucifixion played an inspirational and morally influential role in teaching them the need to forgive, thereby enabling them to receive God's forgiveness? Take, for instance, his forgiving attitude on the cross.

By the way, Luke gives a slightly different phrasing of the presentation; however, he still references forgiveness of others. See below.

Luke 11:4 ‘And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

So, we can look at the receipt of forgiveness from God as conditioned on our forgiveness of those who offend us. Is it required by God or simply referential from us? Perhaps considering what Jesus said next, according to Matthew's account, would clear the air.

In Matthew 6:15, Jesus said, “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

If you don't forgive, God won't forgive you.

A love-professing believer could pray to God, saying, “Forgive those who trespass against us.” But it seems we are given the mandate to forgive them, not to ask God to do it for us. Moreover, what motivates us to forgive? Does God want us to forgive ourselves? Why?

If you've followed our previous discussions to the recent discussion on different atonement theories, you'll notice how people tried to make sense of the Christ figure in the Bible and the significance of his life, death, and resurrection, accounted for in the four Gospels. The interesting theme of forgiveness is pictured vividly, and so is the invitation to reciprocate that example.

While people posit different theories and theological demands on others with references to biblical portions, we can agree that, as John said, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren,” 1 John 3:16. The next verse tells us how to do that: by doing good deeds and helping those in need. Forgiving those who wrong us is an essential part of good deeds.

Also, as the Hebrew writer instructs his audience in Hebrews 13:16, do not neglect doing good and sharing with the needy, for God is pleased by such actions. Furthermore, I encourage you to take an introspective approach and not throw away the baby with the bathwater.

People will do you wrong, but if you forgive them—let go of the offense from the depth of your heart—what do you think happens to you? You free yourself from the burden and bitterness that comes with being unforgiving and can view that freedom as God's forgiveness of you.

Regardless of contentious views, what matters now is our peace of mind and well-being. Forgiving others and ourselves is crucial on this path. If God is, one would think that they'd be concerned with our peaceful existence and display of empathy towards others. Sieving through portions of the texts, we can see that desire, and I suppose that tells us something about us. What do you think? Share your thoughts.