Luke 11:4 4and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
This part of the prayer is divided into two parts. The first part is expressed as a prayer and the second gives the reason God should answer the prayer. In the first part, Jesus teaches his disciples to ask for forgiveness. To forgive (aphes) means to release, let go, send away, and not consider it anymore. Psalm 103:9-11 (ESV) provides a good illustration of what forgiveness means:
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Luke’s version of the prayer is more explicit about what must be forgiven. Matthew uses the word “debt” while Luke uses sins (hamartias). This is the common word for “sin” in the New Testament and means to move away from the goal or standard. A sin is not a mistake or frailty of being human, though mistakes and human frailty can lead to sin if we are not careful to live in humility. Asking for forgiveness as part of our prayers should bring us to the point of submission and humility before God, which should be key qualities of a disciple.
Jesus never sinned (Hebrews 4:15) but identified with sinful humanity through his baptism. Here in his prayer, he shows us how to approach God in humility and confession. The apostle John later wrote that we should confess our sins, and God will forgive our sins and cleanse away the effects of sin in our lives (1 John 1:9). Cleansing from sin should be a daily part of our routine. We must get rid of the contamination of the world, like washing the dirt off our bodies. Asking for forgiveness does not mean we are bound or enslaved to sin but that we recognize its enticement and constant temptation.
The second part of the verse offers the explanation and support for the first part. We are forgiven because of God’s grace, but we must work out this grace in how we respond to other people. Jesus connected God forgiving us with how we forgive others. This matter is so serious that if we fail to forgive others, God will not forgive us (6:37; Matthew 18:35). The tense of the word forgive is present, which implies an ongoing readiness to forgive those who owe us, not just a one time forgiveness. Luke uses a financial word for indebted (opheilonti), though it could be used in a social way. People can owe us many things, not just money. A debt often comes when people take advantage of us in some way and never make it right with us. They do not correct the wrong they did against us. There is some form of injustice that was never made right. The parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18:21-35 is a good illustration of this part of the prayer.
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