“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” With these words, Jesus inseparably connects our relationship with the Lord and our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we pray, we should not only be mindful of what the Lord has done for us (forgiven us; paid the whole of the debt our sin created) but also that we should extend the same mercy and grace to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Forgiveness is a vital aspect of life in the kingdom because, as Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18 shows us, it prioritizes relationship over religion, imitates God’s graciousness, breaks worldly patterns of vengeance and pride, and expresses heart transformation (the deep transformation that is a part of discipleship).
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