The Sermon on the Mount (Bossuet)/Day 26
Twenty-sixth Day
‘ Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.' — Matt. vi. 12,
'FORGIVE us as we forgive.' God admirably made the pardon we ourselves expect from Him upon that which we are commanded to grant to all who have offended us. Not satisfied with continually laying down the rule of our obligation in this matter, He puts the utterance of it into our own mouths in our daily prayer, so that if we fail in forgiveness He may say to us, as He did to the servant in the parable: — ‘ Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant.’[1]
That is: ‘You beg my forgiveness on condition of forgiving others yourself: you pronounced your own sentence when you refused to pardon your brother. Depart to that unhappy place where neither pardon nor mercy is found!'
This is what Christ insists upon here; and He explains it still more terribly in the parable of the unjust steward.
- ↑ Luke xix. 22.