The
Lord’s Prayer
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“As
We Forgive Our Debtors”
The great debt we owe
to God was incurred in the
forgiveness of sin that necessitated
the death of Christ on the cross.
“All have sinned.” Romans
3:23. This means that we have sinned,
that I have sinned. In His fathomless
love, God forgave us all, and we are
free from condemnation and have
passed from death unto life. Should
not this fill our hearts with
thanksgiving and joy?
However, there is one
important condition on which this
forgiveness depends: We are forgiven
our sins only as we forgive others
fully and freely. God has forgiven
us; now we are to forgive others.
“If we forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you: but if we forgive
not men their trespasses, neither
will your Father forgive your
trespasses.” Matthew 6:14,15.
This forgiveness is to
be extended to those who have
offended us, whether they ask for
forgiveness or not. If they do not
come to us to ask forgiveness, we are
to go to them. “If thou bring
thy gift to the alter, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath
aught against thee [not that you have
aught against him]; leave there thy
gift before the altar, and go thy
way; first to be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy
gift.” Matthew 5:23,24. If you
have committed one wrong and they
twenty, confess that one as though
you were the chief offender.
Once Peter asked
Christ how often he should forgive
his brother. To this Jesus answered,
“Until seventy times
seven.” Matthew 18:21,22. Jesus
then spoke a parable about
forgiveness, emphasizing that
forgiveness of our own sins depends
on our forgiving those who have
sinned against us.”
Therefore is the
kingdom of heaven likened unto a
certain king, which would take
account of his servants. And when he
had begun to reckon, one was brought
unto him, which owed him ten thousand
talents. But forasmuch as he had not
to pay, his Lord commanded him to be
sold, and his wife, and children, and
all that he had, and payment to be
made. The servant therefore fell
down, and worshiped him, saying,
Lord, have patience with me, and I
will pay thee all. Then the lord of
that servant moved with compassion,
and loosed him, and forgave him the
debt. But the same servant went out,
and found one of his fellow servants,
which owed him an hundred pence: and
he laid hands on him, and took him by
the throat, saying, pay me that thou
owest. And his fellow servant fell
down at his feet, and besought him,
saying, have patience with me, and I
will pay thee all. And he would not:
but cast him into prison, till he
should pay the debt. So when his
fellow servants saw what was done,
they were very sorry, and came and
told unto their lord all that was
done. Then his lord, after that he
had called him, said unto him, O thou
wicked servant, I forgave thee all
that debt, because thou desirest me:
shouldest not thou also have had
compassion on thy fellow servant,
even as I had pity on thee? And his
lord was wroth, and delivered him to
the tormentors, till he should pay
all that was due unto him. So
likewise shall My heavenly Father do
also unto you, if ye from your hearts
forgive not everyone his brother
their trespasses.” Matthew
18:23-35.
No one can
misunderstand the lesson of this
parable. The servant had been
forgiven much showed an unforgiving
and cruel attitude toward the one who
owed him a small sum; and though he
had already been forgiven and his
great debt marked paid, the judgment
was reversed and he was condemned to
pay all that he owed.
This parable teaches
clearly that we are forgiven only as
we forgive, and that it is useless to
ask to have our sins forgiven unless
we “from the heart” forgive
those who have sinned against us.
God has entrusted to
all men one or more talents for which
we are held responsible. They
constitute a debt on which He expects
us to pay interest. This is clearly
taught in this parable:
“For the kingdom
of heaven is as a man traveling into
a far country, who called his own
servants, and delivered unto them his
goods. And unto one, he gave five
talents, to another two, and to
another one; to every man according
to his several ability; and
straightway took his journey. Then he
that had received the five talents
went and traded them with the same,
and made them another five talents.
And like wise he that had received
the two, he also gained another two.
However, he that had the one talent
went and digged in the earth, and hid
his lord’s money. After a long
time the lord of those servants
cometh, and reckoneth with them. And
so he that had received the five
talents came and brought another five
talents, saying, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me five talents:
behold, I have gained beside them
five talents more. His lord said unto
him, Well done, thou good and
faithful servant: thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will
make you ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also, that had received two
talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents:
behold, I have gained two other
talents beside them. His lord said
unto him, Well done, good and
faithful servant; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one
talent came and said, Lord, I knew
thee that thou art an hard man,
reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not
strawed: and I was afraid, and went
and hid thy talent in the earth: lo,
there thou hast that is thine. His
lord answered and said unto him, Thou
wicked and slothful servant, thou
knowest that I reap where I sowed
not, and gathered where I have not
strawed: thou oughtest therefore to
have put my money to the exchangers,
and then at my coming I should have
received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the
talent from him, and give it unto him
which hath ten talents. For unto
everyone that hath shall be given,
and ye shall have abundance: but from
him that hath not shall be taken away
even that which he hath. And cast ye
the unprofitable servant into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.” Matthew
25:14-30.
In the parable, he
that received five talents gained
another five, and he was told,
“Well done.” Each had been
given the number of talents he could
use, “according to his servants
ability.” The Lord did not
expect a return of five talents from
the one who had been given two. On
the other hand, He would not have
been satisfied with a return of two
talents from the one who had been
given five.
The man who had
received one talent did not attempt
to improve it, but buried it in the
earth. We are not told the reason for
his failure to trade with it. He
might have thought that it was small
and did not matter. He may have been
discontented wit receiving only one
talent when the others received more.
From the fact that he called the
master a hard man, we may presume
that he felt unjustly treated. Had he
improved his one talent, he doubtless
would have received another one, with
the commendation of the master,
“Well done.”
The excuse he gave
was, “I knew thee that thou art
an hard man…. And I was afraid,
and went and hid thy talent in the
earth: lo, there thou hast that is
thine.” This was a lame excuse.
Had he really thought that the Lord
was a hard master, should he not have
been the more anxious to get his good
will by paying him back with
interest? He was not acting wisely.
What are these
talents? They are skills with which
God has endowed men, the
inclinations, the capacities, the
aptitudes which make one man a poet,
another an author, another a
preacher, another a carpenter,
another a counselor, another a
watchmaker. As related to the church,
one has the gift of song, another of
playing instrumental music, another
of storytelling for the children,
another for teaching a class, another
of doing Dorcus work, another
visiting, another of arranging
flowers, another of giving
“chalk talks.” One who may
not be able to sing a solo can join
the choir and do his part. Everyone
can do something. Everyone has at
least one talent. And note: It was
the one who had only one talent who
did not use it and hence lost it. So,
let the one-talent man beware! Let
him not bury his talent. If he had
done so, let him dig it up and use
it. It is not enough to be a church
member. Everyone can do something,
however lowly the task, and be
blessed in doing it. As he does the
best, he can, as a reward God may
give him another talent, which will
increase his work and his blessings.
In 1 Corinthians 12:
8-11, Paul gives this list of
talents: “To one is given by the
Spirit the word of wisdom; to another
the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit; to another faith by the same
Spirit; to another the gifts of
healing by the same Spirit; to
another the working of miracles; to
another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another
divers kinds of tongues; to another
the interpretation of tongues: but
all these worketh that one and the
selfsame Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as He will.”
Later in the same
chapter he says this: “God hath
set some in the church, first
apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then the gift of healings,
helps, governments, diversities of
tongues. Are all apostles? Are all
prophets? Are all teachers? Are all
workers of miracles? Have all the
gifts of healings? Do all speak with
tongues? Do all interpret? But covet
earnestly the best gifts: and yet
show I unto you a more excellent
way.” Verses 28-31.
Among the great gifts
here mentioned, note the little word
“helps.” There are those
who are not gifted to lead out in
various enterprises, but are
excellent help. They may not think
they are doing anything vital, just
‘helping along.” However,
that may be very important at times.
We are constantly hearing the call
for leaders, and these are needed.
But it is just as true that we need
followers, men who are willing to
fill in, playing ‘second
fiddle,” doing small menial
tasks that need to be done. For a
while Elisha, who later became a
great prophet, did little else than
pour ‘water on the hands of
Elijah.” 2 Kings 3:11.
Every man shall
receive his own reward according to
his own labor.” 1 Corinthians
3:8.This means that every man can
determine his own reward, and that
this will be according to his work.
He can determine to do a great work
in his line, and receive a great
reward; or to do but little, and
receive a small reward. Let no one,
therefore bury his talent. Do not
evade responsibility. If you are
asked to take a position, consider
the matter, someone has confidence in
you that you can do the work or soon
grow into it. Pray over it, but be
sure your prayers are not biased.
Moreover, be sure not to bury your
talent in the ground, however small
the talent may seem.
Christians are in debt
to the world in a sense different
from that which we have discussed. Of
this Paul said, “I am debtor
both to the Greeks, and to the
barbarians; both to the wise, and to
the unwise. So, as much as in me is,
I am ready to preach the gospel to
you that are at Rome also.”
Romans 1:14,15.
Every Christian ought
to do his share of the world’s
work. He ought to be a good citizen,
obey the law, honor the government,
pay his taxes, and take part in
endeavors he can honestly support.
There are too many of these for him
to be active in all, but he can
choose one or more and do his honest
share.
The Bible direction
is: “To do your own business,
and to work with your own hands, as
we commanded you.” 1
Thessalonians 4:11. In his next
letter he added, “this we
commanded you, that if any would not
work, neither should he eat.”
That is, Christians should not
“live on” others, as some
evidently tried to do in
Thessalonica. Paul was not in the
habit of commanding his hearers.
However, in this instance, he
commanded that if any will not work,
neither should he eat. Christians
must justify the protection they get
from the government. They must do
their part in every good word and
work.
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