The Lord’s Prayer — The Fifth Petition

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

There is this beautifully honest sentence in Luther’s Large Catechism at the beginning of his explanation of this petition. “We stumble daily and transgress because we live in the world among people. They do us much harm and give us reasons for impatience, anger, revenge, and such.” That’s right, it is all your fault! Also, we can’t forget to mention the devil’s attacks. If it weren’t for you and the devil, wow, would I be the holiest person in the world.

Pride is a wily thing like that. We can take something that is true and turn it around into sin without even blinking an eye. In our fallenness, it is our nature to not trust or believe God and to seek after sin. I remember the first time I contemplated that truth sitting at Living Word Free Lutheran Church. I hate sin. But, and here is the kicker, I also like my sin. I mean, on the face of it, it makes sense, right? Or else why would I do it?

That is why Jesus teaches us to pray for forgiveness of sins. By teaching us to pray for forgiveness, he breaks our pride and keeps us humble. The truth is, no matter how good we are at submitting to God’s will and keeping His law, we will always need forgiveness. The prophet Isaiah did not only confess, “I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” He also confessed, “I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6:5)

But God does not merely wish to break our pride and force us to agree with the reality of our sin and brokenness. That is only a part of what God’s desire is for us as revealed in this petition. As Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

God’s desire is to forgive you abundantly. We pray that God would deal with us graciously and forgive us. This is not a prayer with a hope based upon a probability or upon how good I’ve been lately. It rests on the promise of God in Christ crucified for you. When we pray this prayer, we pray it with the confidence in knowing that our prayer is not in vain. That makes this the most joyful petition in the Lord’s prayer. It is a prayer of weakness that says, “God is God. I am not. Forgive me,” while recognizing and realizing that God’s forgiveness is already ours.

Then, there is that last little phrase, “as we forgive others.” At first glance, God’s forgiveness seems to be based upon the forgiveness we extend to our neighbors. However, as already stated, God’s forgiveness rests not on our actions or merit, but on God’s promise in Christ. This means that our forgiveness of others is a sign alongside the promise to confirm and assure us of God’s forgiveness.