Forgive as we Forgive

Christians have much to say about forgiveness as an act of moral virtue consistent with and perhaps utterly imperative to embracing Jesus’ call to love one another. We are taught that forgiveness involves an empathetic outreach of reconciliation, graciousness and love. There is solid support for this teaching in New Testament scripture which I will reference below.

In the Lord’s Prayer, however, the request of God that Jesus taught (and we translate as the verb ‘forgive’) is a much simpler, more practical act that augers for peaceful coexistence in community. The Greek aphiemi used in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke means variously to dismiss or release someone from a place, from a moral or legal obligation or consequence. It contemplates an action of cancelation, remittance or pardon. There is no empathy in the term, no generosity, no grace, no mercy, no outreach of reconciliation. Simply, let it be. Let it pass. Move on. Don’t hold a grudge. Drop your complaint of others while asking God to drop God’s many potential complaints against you. Another Greek verb of release is apoluo which we also translate as to forgive. This verb occurs in Luke 6:37 as part of Jesus’ admonition against judging others: “Forgive and you will be forgiven”.

Yet we all have to deal with anger which is often fully justified when we are harmed by the actions of others. The old adage, hell has no fury like a woman scorned ¹, is real life anger personified. Forgive? Never! It seems to me that God understands our anger. Real events can cause anger and an angry reaction, even as Jesus disrupted the money changers in the temple (Mt. 21:12). What Jesus seems to have been teaching his disciples about prayer is to set aside your claims against others, releasing them and yourself from this disturbance of your peace, and God will pardon you as well for your shortcomings.

Now, the Christian view of forgiveness seems to be wholly empathetic, wrapped in love, generosity, grace and even mercy. Paul pleads with the Ephesians to put away all their anger and wrangling and malice toward one another, “and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you”(Eph.4:32). Here the Greek verb for Paul is charito, which is to freely and graciously bestow the favor of kindness to another. See also 2Cor.2:7,10) Forgiveness in these contexts is quite different, akin to the notion of Christian charity, one to another.

So, of course, we should each endeavor to follow Paul’s advice in our community relationships. Yet it seems to me that Jesus does not require such perfection in our behavior as a condition precedent to approaching God in prayer. I think maybe all God asks of us is to release any complaints we have of others as we approach God to release any complaint God may have with us for our sins. Not so hard, really. And a lot healthier way to live.

1. William Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a play, 1697