We’ve been working through Luke’s version of the Lord’s prayer in the Passion Translation.

One day, as Jesus was in prayer, one of his disciples came over to him as he finished and said, “Would you teach us a model prayer that we can pray, just like John did for his disciples?” So Jesus taught them this prayer: 

• “Our heavenly Father, may the glory of your name be the center on which our life turns.
• May your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us.
• Manifest your kingdom on earth.
• And give us our needed bread for the coming day.
• Forgive our sins as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
• And rescue us every time we face tribulations.” (Luke 11.1 – 4, Passion Translation, emphasis mine)

I like “as we ourselves release forgiveness…” It reminds me of what I read years ago in The Renewed Mind by Larry Christianson. Larry was making the case that texts like Matthew 18.18 imply that our forgiving people has power.

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18.18, ESV)

Larry points out that Stephen forgives Saul of Tarsus as he was dying:

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of his execution. (Acts 7.59, 60, 8.1, ESV)

Saul is forgiven by Stephen at the end of Acts 7 and the beginning of Acts 8. You don’t have to go to seminary to know that Acts 8 comes before Acts 9. And what happens in Acts 9? Saul comes to faith in Jesus on the road to Damascus!

I get goose bumps every time I tell that story. We need to be people who “release forgiveness.”

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18.21, 22, ESV)