When was the last time you read through the Lords Prayer slowly? To actually think about what it says. If you’re like me you have heard it and said it a thousand times. Maybe you’ve even listened to someone preach about why it’s organized the way that it is. Today I noticed the most common word in our language tucked ever so neatly in the middle of the prayer. That word though might be the most important word in the whole passage. The word? Think you know? It’s simply two letters, A-S. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Have you ever stopped to think about the implications of those words?

Most of us probably pray this prayer a couple times a month maybe even a couple times a week. Without “as�, it’s just a request for God to forgive us and to forgive others who have wronged us. But Jesus so cleverly inserted the word in the middle of this sentence. Why would he do that? Well several reasons. One being to remind us that we are all sinners on the same common ground no matter what our trespasses have been. My sin is just as bad as the sin of the other driver, my boss, my teacher, my mother, my wife. All of us share the same curse, the same disease that only he can cure. Another reason Jesus would insert this word is to remind us to walk humbly every day. I’m sure most of you are familiar with Matthew 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?� or maybe Romans 3:10 “There is no on righteous, not even one.�

Jesus goes on in Matthew 6:14-15 to say, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.� I find it interesting that Jesus would end this passage by explaining just the meaning of the AS. Why not the rest of the prayer? I think it is because it wasn’t so much of a cause an effect statement, but more of a measuring stick. It also gives us a glimpse of what the heart of God is like. Jesus didn’t require anything from us when he laid down his life. He did it out of love hoping that we would follow his sacrifice and take up our cross daily. In the same way he wants us to be so close to his heart that we can easily forgive others without recourse. So close that forgiveness is a natural habit in our lives. A force more powerful than our daily commute, our spouses’ annoying habits, the mistakes by our government, or the actions of a thief or murderer. Read it again but this time read it through the eyes of self-examination and not an outline or staple to Sunday service. I think you may find that it will change your walk, and give you a more intimate view of the best friend I could ever imagine.

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