We learn to pray according to God’s will when we recite the Lord’s prayer. One of the things we ask for in the Lord’s prayer is forgiveness. Forgiveness means to release. Even though sinners must be punished, we have no right to condemn others because we, too, are guilty. The Law required punishment for sin, but when the age of the gospel came, sinners could be forgiven of their sins by Christ’s shed blood. As Christians, we are saved because Christ forgave us, so we should forgive others of their transgressions. In Exodus 21:23-25, the Jewish people were accustomed to the Mosaic Law’s way of dealing with sin, which required justice to be exacted on those who sinned. In Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus commands us not to retaliate against those who wrong us and to be charitable to those who take from us. This was a new law that Christ commanded us to carry out in our lives. In Matthew 22:40, Christ commands us to love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Christ moved us to a new age, which is the Law of love and forgiveness. Matthew 18 is also a place where we should go to learn about forgiveness. In the parable of the Unmerciful Servant, we learn that we should forgive others considering the forgiveness we have received from the Lord. There are many examples in the Bible where those who have received grace become angry when others who deserve punishment receive the same grace. This could be our heart as well. We must always remember that grace we have received from the Lord. If we forget this, forgiving others won’t be easy. Isaiah 5:20 shows us that we should call out evil, but we must still love with the Lord’s heart.
