When “Debts” Isn’t About Dollars (or Even Sin)

 “And forgive us our sins,

For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.”

(Luke 11:4 NASB20)

Have you ever wondered about the two different words in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this verse: “sins” and “indebted”? I have!

This week, I’ve been working through the Gospel of Luke and wrestling (in the best way) with the 20+ parables found there. As I’ve already confessed, God has led me here purposefully so I can better appreciate these stories I’ve long avoided! I’m grateful for that, and I’m learning so much already.

But today was different.

Today, I was in Luke 11, which opens with the passage many of us know as “The Lord’s Prayer.” I knew I needed to slow down here, especially since I’m currently doing my first read-through of the book. (If you want to learn more about why it’s helpful to do a full read-through before digging in, check out my website for “Bible Study Methods.”) Furthermore, I think slowing down was the right choice because it aligns with what God has been emphasizing in my prayer life lately: the importance of being present, intentional, and deeply connected in my time with Him.

To be completely honest, prayer has been something else I’ve long avoided in my spiritual journey. But about a year ago, when God started gently asking why I do that, I knew it was finally time to answer. I say “finally” because I genuinely don’t know what took me so long to focus on this part of my walk with God. Maybe it’s because I’ve always had faithful friends I could ask to pray for me. And while that’s definitely a gift—and we should ask others to pray for us—I’m finally beginning to live out something I’ve known all along: 

I shouldn’t outsource the very conversations God is inviting me into.

Which is why I knew when I opened my Bible to Luke 11 this morning that it was God’s invitation for me to see what else I could glean from what we often call The Lord’s Prayer. 

My longtime mentor and friend—affectionately known to many of us as “The Rev”—always had a different take on that title. He would gently but firmly remind us that Matthew 6 and Luke 11 don’t record The Lord’s Prayer—they record The Disciples’ Prayer. After all, Jesus wasn’t praying here—He was teaching (the true Lord’s Prayer is found in John 17, because that’s where we hear His own heart poured out to the Father). The Matthew and Luke prayers record Jesus teaching us, “Here’s how to commune with the Father.” I like that. Plus, I’m pretty sure Jesus already knew how to do that! 🙂

Additionally, since I was already slowing down—and because I’m a bit of a word nerd—I decided to look up a few words. I’m so glad I did! When I looked into the word “debts,” I came across a scholar’s insight that completely reframed how I understand that word. For the first time, I think I fully grasped what I’m actually supposed to be praying for here, and I just have to share it with you!

In his book Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes, scholar Kenneth Bailey explains that in Aramaic—the language Jesus most likely used in Luke 11:4—the word ḥōbā’ carries two meanings: both “debts” and “sins.”

Here’s how Bailey puts it:

“Simply stated, the first (debts) are the believer’s unfulfilled duties in discipleship and obedience; the second (sins) are the overt evil acts that the believer commits.

It has long been noted that the Aramaic word ḥōbā’, which occurs in both texts in the Old Syriac, carries both meanings... A sensitive translator into Greek may have known the two-sided nature of the word, and, finding no equivalent in Greek, he gave us half of the content of ḥōbā’ in the first stanza and the other half in the second.”

“Isn’t that amazing? Read it again if you need to, so you don’t miss it!”

This one word does way more than ask me to confess my sins and forgive others. It holds a mirror up to my walk with Jesus. It reminds me that following Him isn’t just about what I avoid (sins), but also about what I pursue (obedience). It’s not just a confession—it’s an invitation to ask for what I need to honor God and fulfill my calling. And maybe that’s why this prayer hit me differently this morning—it’s about spiritual formation and growth. Who knew? I mean, I knew these truths—I’d just never seen them reflected so clearly in the Disciples’ Prayer before.

Let me close by saying that I’m deeply grateful for those who have prayed for me. But I’m even more grateful that the Lord gently placed His finger on my resistance to prayer when He did. This journey is equipping my walk with Him in ways I didn’t expect.

So today, the parables can wait.

I’m lingering here—lingering in this growing awareness of God’s grace that invites me into His presence for communion, shaping, and training to live in His kingdom—and finding that the word “debts” couldn’t be more apropos.

I pray this little insight from Bailey about the word “debts” or “ḥōbā’” encourages you today as well. If it does, I’d love to hear what stood out to you and how you’re encountering God in prayer as well. Let’s encourage each other here!