Stroll through Scripture for June 16, 2024

Based on Matthew 6:9–13

The Lord’s prayer. There have been many a story about pastors who have gone to visit homebound members in their homes and at nursing homes and those folks are comforted by hearing the Lord’s prayer. More incredible stories include people who are struggling with memory challenges, who may not even recognize their own family members, but are able to recite the Lord’s prayer. And when they do, they experience a sense of calm and clarity that they haven’t had in a long time. The Lord’s prayer is a source of comfort for many.

It is also a source of conflict, which may be a bit of surprise. The words of the Lord’s prayer have deep meaning and there is plenty debate about the words. Depending on which version of the Lord’s prayer we are talking about can yield an array of understandings about the prayer. Do we go with “forgive us our debts,” “forgive us our sins,” or “forgive us our trespasses?” Each of these conveys different ideas.

The Greek word in question is ὀφειλήματα, which can be translated as debts, offenses, or sins. While in English we argue about the different between debts and sins, there really isn’t much of a difference in the Greek because when there is a sin, something is owed to make the relationship whole again, just like a debt. So whether we are talking about money or relationship, the concept is the same.

The core of the Lord’s prayer comes down to teaching the disciples, and us, how to pray. It comes down to two key parts…