And forgive us our debts / ? ?????? ??? ????? ????

On forgiveness

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Lk 11:4)

Often when we forgive someone an offense, we continue to harbor in our souls some sort of aversion to the person who offended us. In this case, we should expect the same treatment from the Lord: “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you” (Mt. 7:2), says the Lord. If we excuse ourselves by saying, “I would like to forgive, but I can’t,” then we are unworthy to approach the Lord with a prayer for our own forgiveness. It is best to leave everything – your prayer, your work – and first be reconciled completely and entirely with everybody, and then turn again to God. Take care that the Lord does not say to you, as to the unmerciful servant: “O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?” (Mt 18:32-33). We will be forgiven to the extent that we forgive.

Only the power of the Lord’s Cross can deliver us from the remembrance of wrongs and give us the ability to forgive as the Lord forgives us. “God in Christ reconciled the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:19). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9).

In the early days of the Church, two friends lived in Antioch: a priest, Sapricius, and a layman, Nicephorus. For some reason that began to argue, and stopped speaking to one another. Meanwhile, a persecution of Christians began, and Sapricius was seized and offered the choice of sacrificing to idols or being condemned to death. Sapricius chose the latter, and the led him to his death. Nicephorus, who had sought reconciliation once before, hurried to ask forgiveness and be reconciled with the martyr. Meeting him on the way to the place of execution, he fell at his knees and begged, “Martyr of Christ, forgive me”. Sapricius did not answer him, and turned away. This was repeated several times. Nicephorus followed him to the place of execution, and once again fervently asked his forgiveness, but Sapricius remained unmoved. And what happened?

At the very last minute, from fear of the punishment, Sapricius denied Christ and agreed to offer sacrifice to the idols. The words of the apostle John were fulfilled in him: “He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1 Jn 2:11). Nicephorus, on the other hand, fearlessly confessed himself to be a Christian, and received a martyr’s crown.

Original russian text, from http://www.pagez.ru/days/index.php?id=month&month=06&day=09:

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