A wall in Łódź carried the words “God forgives, Widzew never”, a slogan that greeted the preacher on his way home from school for years and became his picture of a culture that has made a virtue out of refusing to forgive. This message walks through the Lord’s Prayer to one of its petitions, repeated so often that we have stopped hearing what we are actually asking for (Matthew 6). Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors turns out to be one of the most dangerous sentences we say. Listen, and ask yourself whether you really have forgiven your debtors.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In this prayer Matthew uses the word "debt", while Luke uses "sin". What does the picture of debts and debtors tell you about guilt before God and before other people?
- Right after the prayer, in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus says the Father will not forgive us if we do not forgive others. How do you understand these words in light of the fact that Jesus has already died for our sins on the cross?
- The sermon opens with a graffiti slogan, "God forgives, Widzew never", and the phrase "never forget, never forgive". How does a culture of revenge and payback shape the way you think about forgiveness?
- The speaker says the Lord's Prayer is dangerous because we repeat it on autopilot. Which of its requests most challenges your own plans and ambitions, and why?
- What excuses do you most often tell yourself to avoid forgiving, such as "they should apologize first" or "they need to learn a lesson"? What is really behind them?
- Who do you need to consciously forgive this week out of gratitude for God's forgiveness, even if that person never apologizes and you don't have to become close friends?
