Have you ever made a soup, a sauce, a broth, or some stock, where, when you had finished preparing it, the volume had become less, concentrating the flavor, this being by design, not by accident? This process in cooking would be called a reduction. Here is how the internet defines a reduction, specifically in a pan?
Reducing in a pan concentrates liquids by evaporating water, which intensifies flavor and thickens the mixture. This is achieved by simmering an uncovered liquid over medium heat in a wide pan, which increases the surface area for faster evaporation. This technique is used for everything from sauces to stocks, as it melds ingredients, creates a richer taste, and can be used to utilize the flavorful bits (fond) left in the pan after searing meat.
With that definition, wouldn’t it be interesting if we could associate aspects of human behavior with a cooking reduction? Well, we can entertain the idea, for instance when summarizing lawlessness.
1Jn 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Jas 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
Here is a phrase we’ve heard before… "It all boils down to this" which Google defines…
a complex situation can be reduced to its single, most important or fundamental element. It's a way of summarizing a complex issue to its basic, essential point to find the main reason or deciding factor.
- Simplification: The phrase means to condense something to its bare essentials, like giving a summary of a situation in a nutshell.
With the concept in mind of a reduction in cooking, and with the summarization that a phrase or series of phrases can condense something to its most foundational parts, let’s turn to the model prayer found in Matthew, chapter six.
Mat 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Mat 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
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Let’s discuss forgiveness for a few moments.
Nothing eternal for sinners will ever happen without God’s forgiveness. Nothing else matters eternally without it.
Also, if there is not resurrection, we still have futility, but forgiveness makes salvation possible.
So, thinking about recipes and reductions, boiling things down…
Mrk 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."
For the sake of our analogy, let us consider salt as a crucial ingredient to our reduction, and let us apply forgiveness as an ingredient like salt. Forgiveness is not the end all be all, because if there is no resurrection, we still die. Nevertheless, there will never be salvation without first there being forgiveness.
In cooking, it is probably salt that is the most craved. You don’t even need a high volume of it for it to fulfill its role in cooking. Interestingly, it’s also one of the most likely ingredients to seem to disappear almost immediately when added to the stock. Nevertheless, we KNOW it is present by taste.
I believe this model prayer is more than just a guideline for communicating with our Father in Heaven. How many prayers have we asked, which included the thoughts expressed in this model, but the prayer was far more detailed, maybe discussing a specific request or trial. Maybe we bring up specific brethren we know need God’s help.
What I mean is, this model is a boiled down expression of what is most important to God in our personal relationship with Him. The attributes of this prayer express the FOUNDATIONAL concepts of a right relationship with Him.
The frame of the prayer acknowledges Him as our Holy and Sovereign Father. Then it expresses our reliance on His provision, our ongoing need for His forgiveness, and our desire that He deliver us from evil.
We’ve read through the prayer, and we’ve said the AMEN, but was Jesus finished with His instruction? NO, absolutely NOT! Instead, He focuses on one of the ingredients found in the prayer.
Mat 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Mat 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Just as it is conceivable we can crave salt in cooking, do we crave forgiveness? And, if we were to wholeheartedly respond, YES, INDEED, then why would we not also crave to forgive?
Remember, Jesus has already carried out the act of redemption, forgiveness, almost 2,000 years ago, and that act of forgiveness covered all who had already come, all who were present, and all who were yet to come. Think of forgiveness, as not something God withholds, but something of which we must accept.
Dare we consider that God, from the very beginning CRAVED to forgive. The sacrifice of the Lamb was planned from the very beginning. A number of scriptures help us see this, but let’s look at one passage to see this.
1Pe 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
1Pe 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
1Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
1Pe 1:20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
1Pe 1:21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Jesus, knowing He was the Lamb of God, desired that this sacrifice be fulfilled, this sacrifice for sin, this forgiveness of sin.
Jhn 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Let’s emphasize the revelation of this desire by turning to Hebrews…
Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (continued)
Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The thing about forgiveness, though, is all the “Yeah, buts…” that enter our minds. These are the aspects where we analyze our specific circumstance and might determine the other person does not qualify to be forgiven.
One of the cool things about those complications, which essentially have us imputing motive to the evil act(s) committed against us is that, REMEMBER, forgiveness is ALREADY OFFERED to us. When you and I forgive, we are not concluding on the salvation of someone else. We are simply offering what has been offered to us. Everyone still has to respond to forgiveness.
Let’s review another verse showing how God CRAVES to forgive…
1Ti 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
1Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1Ti 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
And, also, it is so important to remember the examples given us concerning humans forgiving humans, even suffering the most dastardly behaviors.
Luk 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.
I suppose one could conclude that the perfect Jesus, having perfect judgment, was only forgiving the soldiers and not the Pharisees, but I would ask, on what side of the topic of forgiveness should we err, considering how prominent is the ingredient, forgiveness, in the model prayer.
Let’s look at someone who we might consider to be more like us. Let’s look at the deacon, Stephen.
Act 7:59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." (continuing…)
Act 7:60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Who were these people Stephen did not want to be held responsible for his murder? Well, the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), the High Priest, the Council (composed of Pharisees, Sadducees, and elders), and then anybody else taking up stones to murder him. It does not appear that Stephen was exclusive in forgiveness.
When thinking of the model prayer, it all boils down to this, our Father is Sovereign, we rely on Him to provide, we go to Him to guide us away from evil, and for any of this to mean anything, we must be forgiving just like God is forgiving. Suddenly, our relationship is not JUST with God, but also our fellow man.
I find this realization a huge relief to my concept of my responsibility to God and others. How wonderful is forgiveness? How essential? And how easy has God made it for us, that we can now go beyond carnal judgment to crave forgiveness for all, no matter the circumstances. May God help us to bask in the forgiveness of God and reflect the same desire for all people that He desires for us.
