Debts, Trespasses and Temptations (2)
Matthew 6:9-13
Luke 11:1-4
You may ask, “Are we talking
about debts or trespasses and sins?
Which one is right?
Both.
In Matthew, the word “debts”
is used.
“Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
In Luke
the word “sins” is used.
“And forgive us our sins;
for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.” KJV
(sinned against us) NIV
Always let us remember that
the original language that Jesus used was Arameic.
He should have used the word
HOBA which means both, debts and sins.
In fact, what is debt,
what do we owe to God?
Debts are unfulfilled
responsibilities towards God, fellow human beings and ourselves.
Origen an early church father
(185-254 A.D.) described debts as follows:
1- We owe to love our family,
our neighbor, the poor, the fellow human beings. Did we love them enough?
2- We owe to take care our
body. We should not misuse it. We should not abuse our mind and soul.
3- We owe it to God. Do we
love God enough? Do we love God with all our heart and soul and mind?
And Origen finishes by saying: “there is not a single
hour, day or night, when we are not debtors.”
In another word, debts means obligations that one has
towards other fellow humans and God.
Sins on the
other hand is things that we should not do: Sin
against God, against humanity. Because of sin we are
alienated from God and each other. In
fact, we are in debt because of sin.
Both, debts and sins are
destructive. Both can put us in the bondage of death. We need to
be free of sin and debts. Forgiveness that God grants us only through His
grace, can free us. Only God can forgive us and then teach us to forgive
others.
This is DAILY.
-We need daily bread
for nourishment.
-We need daily forgiveness
from God so that we have new chance, and we learn how to forgive “others”
so that we give new chance to ‘others.”
While I am preparing this
sermon, I am preparing myself to attend to the Mount Davidson Cross remembering
our Armenian Genocide.
There are injustices in the
world, not only towards Armenians, but towards all
nations.
Can I
forgive my nation’s enemy?
I was raised in a way that the only way we can bring justice
is hatred, hatred for
-Is
there another way?
Yes. We can struggle for
justice. We can demand the world to recognize our genocide. We can demand the
Yet, I
can do these demands without violence, vengeance and hatred.
-In my
university years in the
-We as Christians need to
learn to forgive our enemy; it is the best liberating phenomenon.
We as Armenian nation need healing. This does not mean we will stop
asking for justice. Unfortunately, the world demands justice with anger. Anger
and wars never solved problems; they created more injustice in the world.
Remember what Jesus said, “Blessed are piece makers”. Victory is
not vengeance.
-My best example is Rev. Krikor Aghbaloghlou. He
is the Armenian Evangelical pastor in
Our approach should be like
manners. Christ loved his enemies. He did not yield to their ways. He did not
embrace their lifestyle. Christ had his way of protesting against the
injustice. His language was the language of love. The cross and resurrection is
the best way of rejecting the evil of this world.
Speaking of evil, the last
part of the prayer is something to do with evil.
Do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
(Wla talina Linisyounak Illa basyina min bijan) in Aramaic.
Martin Luther slept at night
with the fifth petition, asking for forgiveness.
He woke up with this last
petition, asking God to not lead him to temptation.
Asking God protecting him from evil.
It makes sense, Paul asked us
not to go bed without reconciliation, “Do not let sun go down while you are
still angry, and do not give devil a foothill.” (Ephesians 4:26). On the other hand, when we are starting a new day we
are facing new temptations from evil.
Let us clarify one thing. God does not tempt us. God tests us. James is very clear about this. Temptation comes from
evil. What does it mean “Do not lead us into temptation?”
The word ATTA (lead
us) is used in Aramaic. It can have causative and permissive
implications.
-Causative: Don’t cause us to go
to temptation
-Permissive: Don’t permit us to
go to temptation.
The second application is the
one that Jesus meant. Jesus is asking his Father: “Father,
do not permit us to fall in temptation. Lead me from the evil who is the source of temptation.”
Pastor Darrell adds, that God does not tempt us, but God test us. The devil knows that we are being
tested by God. The devil enjoys turning the test into temptation.
The devil knows that tests are there to strength our character.
But temptation is the opposite, it intends destroy our
character. “Father, as the tests are coming in our lives, do not allow the devil to change the tests to temptations.”
There is the ending. Some
early manuscripts have it and some do not. I believe Jesus
said it. It is affirmation of all we said: “Thine is
the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever and Ever.”
Today we will finish this
sermon series by approaching to the Lord’s Table.
Are we ready to approach to
our Lord’s Table?
You sing the Lord’s Prayer
every Sunday. If you do:
-You call Him Daddy. It
starts from there, to call God our Father. This means you are professing that your are His child.
-This means you are allowing
God to rule over you, so that His kingdom like mustard seed will
be planted in your heart.
-This means you are allowing your
will be under His will.
-This means you trust God for
daily bread, enough bread for life. Bread that you can share
with the needy.
-This means you are asking
God to forgive you. It means you are confessing to Him. It means you are
recognizing you are sinner and you need a savior. It also means you are asking
God to teach you to forgive other, specially the ones that hurt you.
-In the end, you are asking
God to protect you from evil and temptations.
Amen