Matthew 6:12 “Debtors”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹²and forgive to us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.

This is an interesting study – to think about sins as “debts.” In Luke’s version in 11:4, our sins are actually called “sins,” while what others have done to us are still called “debts.” More on that later.

Debts. What is a debt? It is something owed. In our world, there is a creditor and there is a debtor. Basically, debts must be repaid. The matter is so serious there used to be “debtors’ prisons,” where people were sent to “work off” their unpaid debts. If a debt isn’t repaid, who loses? The creditor, of course. In our world today, if a debt cannot be repaid, a person can declare bankruptcy, but, other than that the only hope would be for the creditor to willingly “forgive” the debt. Having said that, however, let us be reminded that, in so doing, it is still true the creditor is the loser. Financially speaking, forgiving debts is a wonderful thing for debtors, but for creditors it is a losing business.

As we turn our hearts toward God, it’s not hard to see that our sins are each and every one a debt. We, the created, owe to God the Creator our obedience and our worship. When we fail to give to Him those things, we have sinned. We “owe” Him for those sins. And what is the punishment for sin? “In the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die.” “The wages of sin is death.” The problem, which we fail to consider, is that we are sinning against and offending an infinite God – which means what we “owe” is an infinite price. We’re in BIG trouble. God is just. How long would it take us to pay an infinite debt? How long must we “die?” Infinity. Forever. Hell is no “purgatory.” It is forever. We cannot repay our debt to Him.

Our only hope is that somehow, someway He would forgive our debt. However, in this case, that is theologically impossible. God is just. He must punish sin, since He said He would. His justice demands payment. In order for Him to simply “forgive” our debt, He would have to lose His justice – but He cannot do that. The price must be paid. There must be an infinite death for God to “balance” His books.

Who can pay an infinite price, die an infinite death and yet be able to say, “Paid in full?” Only God Himself! The wonder of grace is He did exactly that. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…and grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:1,14,17). Jesus went to the Cross for us and what were His last words? “It is finished!” What was finished? Our sin debt was paid. Someone paid it for us.

Oh, yes. Above I said our only hope as debtors is for the creditor to forgive our debt. I forgot one other option – when another person steps forward and says, “I’ll pay that for them.” Why would anyone ever do that? Instead of the creditor, now it’s that person who is the loser. Why would anyone willingly be a loser? Love, of course. Any of us who are parents know that feeling. How many times have we each stepped in and said to one of our children, “Don’t worry. I’ll pay for that”? Why did we do it? Love. We made ourselves “losers” and never regretted it for one second, and why? Love.

Isn’t it, in a way, a strange feeling to lose, to willingly make ourselves “losers,” and yet feel happy we did? Once, one of our adult children went to move out of an apartment, only to be told they owed $1,000.00. At that time, they were penniless and called us distraught at what to do. Although we weren’t rich either, it was wonderful to be able to say to them, “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.” It cost us $1,000.00 we probably could barely spare, but we didn’t care. It was for a person precious to us. We were actually glad to be “losers.” The truth is, we didn’t “lose” at all. We just exchanged money for love – and that is an exchange that pays a lifetime of dividends!

So with Jesus. He emptied Himself. He made Himself a servant. He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” then made it possible for God the Father to answer His prayer because He said, “I’ll pay that.” And why did He do it? The book of Hebrews says He did it for “the joy that was set before Him.” He did it for love. Love for you and love for me. Paul exemplified that when he told Philemon, concerning Onesimus, “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.” Paul learned it from Jesus.

Now, when we said to our child, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of that,” they could have said, “No. I won’t let you,” and gone on in the misery of their unpaid indebtedness. Back in John, it says, “He came unto His own, but His own received Him not…yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (1:11,12).

The wonder of His grace is that “Jesus paid it all.” However, you and I are left with the choice to accept His offer or not. Whether we like it or not, we are all debtors before God, owing a price we cannot repay. And what does the Bible tell us? Why did God the Father willingly give His Son to pay our debt? “He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the Justifier of those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).

In this world, it is an awful thing to be indebted for a price we cannot repay. In God’s world, the good news is the price is already paid. We only need say, “Thank you” and accept His wonderful kindness in Jesus.

You and I don’t need to be debtors!!