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Father, Forgive Us
(Mt6:12, 14-15)
God is our Father (Mt6:9).
He bears children through painful labor and
Nurtures them in the fold (Jn10:16).
Faith is knowing one's relationship with Him and honoring it, and
The life of this faith is about forgiving brothers in order to be forgiven (Mt6:14-15).
The prayer that the Lord taught us is
The model and the goal of faith life (Mt6:9-13).
Among the many parts, the one regarding sin and forgiveness is extremely important for
Sin refers to the separation from God and thus a broken relationship.
When they are assimilated, there is unity and happiness.
Furthermore, because there is energy and resilience it has productivity.
But those who cannot become a part of the unity are those who
Usually feel out of place and tend to be skeptical and critical, because of which
They are unhappy, lacking motivation and energy, and even useless to any society.
Nevertheless, for God wants to be the Father to those who call Him, "our Father,"
He created man and woman during the creation (Ge1:27) and
United Adam and the woman whom He made from Adam's rib to become one (Ge2:21-24).
But deceived by the devil (ho diabolos, the separator),
They sinned and became self-centered (Ge3:12).
The tendency of such sin surfaced as the denial of the brotherly relationship:
Cain killed his brother (Ge4:8-9);
The slavery of Israel in Egypt for 430 years originated with
Joseph's brothers abandoning him out of jealousy (Ge37:2-5, 23, 36).
However, when Moses learned that the Lord God, Jehovah, was "our God" (Ex3:18),
Rather than enjoying the pleasure of Egypt,
He chose to be mistreated and suffer with "our people" in the desert (Ex2:11-15; He11:24).
The core of the Ten Commandments (Mt22:36-40) received by the Israelites from God was:
1) The commandment regarding the relationship with God (commandments 1-4) "“
love God with all your life; and
2) The commandment regarding the relationship with men (commandments 5-10) "“
love your neighbors as yourself.
According to the Law, however, when they broke it
Charges were brought against them and they had to make compensations (Ex21:23-25).
Consequently, they became distanced from their neighbors "“ even becoming hypocrites.
Referring to the temple where the stone tablets were,
Yeshua said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days" (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would fulfill the Law for He came as the Son of Man (Mt5:17, 20:28) to
Become the Mediator between two beings different in essence, God and man (1Ti2:5) so that
The Father and the Son, and the Son and men could become one as "us" (Jn17:21-22).
As His flesh tore like the veil in the temple and died,
Yeshua said, "It is finished" (Jn19:30), declaring that:
1) Through His painful labor of sprinkling the blood God became the Father of many sons (He2:10);
2) He condemned the devil, the separator (1Jn3:8); and
3) He tasted death and became like men, becoming a Brother to them (He2:9-11).
He rose, ascended to heaven and sat on the throne, becoming our Father (Jas1:18).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent gives one breath (Jn20:22-23; 1Co12:13)
To the church where those who became His children in His name have been called and gathered,
Letting them know that they have become brothers (He2:11).
The greatest hindrance in becoming "us," is
Not overlooking others' mistakes (Mt7:1-5).
The man of the Spirit, however, desires to be one with "our Father," and
Thus infinitely forgives his brothers (Mt18:21-35).
O Lord,
Though we are brothers having received one blood and one Spirit, and belonging to one body,
We have failed to overlook one another's mistakes.
We have failed to embrace their pains, worries and loneliness.
Father, forgive us!
Let us be moved by "Our church! Our group! Our brothers!"
Father, we are one! Amen.