I have been writing or editing for Today in the Word for more than 30 years, and God’s Word has transformed my life in countless ways through authoring these studies. For example, back in October 2002 I wrote a devotional about forgiveness. What I learned from that study knocked me for a loop. God’s love and grace were and are so much more than I ever realized!

At the close of His lesson on prayer, Jesus highlights forgiveness. He’d already mentioned it as part of the Lord’s Prayer (v. 12). In today’s verses, He explained more: If you forgive others, God will forgive you (v. 14). If you don’t, He won’t (v. 15). These are two sides of the same coin. This is not about salvation. It’s not saying God’s love is conditional. It’s about our responsibility to forgive as we have been forgiven (Matt. 5:7; Eph. 4:32).

Jesus also taught this principle in the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:21–35). This was told to explain the idea of forgiving someone “seventy-seven times.” When the servant who had been forgiven a large debt refused to forgive a fellow servant who owed him only a small amount, the master reconsidered his forgiveness and punished that servant. Jesus concluded: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Forgiving others is a significant issue. We’ve all wronged God far worse than anyone has ever wronged us. Yet He has completely forgiven us! He has “removed our transgressions from us” as far as the east is from the west, that is, as far as is conceivably possible (Ps. 103:12). Similarly, He has hurled “all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7:18–19).

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What happens when you are accused of wrongdoing? Do you own up to your error or blame someone else? In the opening chapters of Genesis, God established true, authentic, and meaningful communication. But in chapter 3, communication breaks down. The pure communion between God and man, as well as husband and wife are corrupted.

In his book, The Trauma of Transparency: A Biblical Approach to Interpersonal Communication, J. Grant Howard examines Genesis 3 and the devastating impact of the Fall. He highlights how Adam and Eve responded to the presence of sin and shame by hiding themselves, hurling accusations, and telling half-truths. As soon as Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (v. 6), “the eyes of both of them were opened” (v. 7). They understood good from evil and felt their own sense of guilt. Their nakedness became a source of shame, so they used the most available resource to create a covering to camouflage their vulnerability.

When the Lord God came walking through the garden, their embarrassment and insecurity drove them to another level of concealment. They tried to hide from Him (v. 8) —a pitiful and pointless endeavor. The Lord called: “Where are you?” (v. 9)—knowing full well what had happened. Adam responded, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” (v. 10). The open communion they had previously enjoyed was now irreversibly damaged. God mercifully responded—not with condemnation—but with questions, gently paving the road to confession (v. 11). Both Adam and Eve finally admitted to eating the fruit, but only after pointing the finger at another. They both deflected the blame to alleviate their shame.

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Have you ever fasted? Choosing to go without food is sometimes required for lab tests. Or we might skip a few meals to lose a few pounds. But fasting is a spiritual practice, abstaining from food, or other things, to spend concentrated time in worship and prayer.

In Matthew 6, Jesus’ comments were aimed at the Pharisees and religious leaders who were known to practice spiritual disciplines such as giving and fasting in flashy and pretentious ways. They wanted people to notice how devout they were, to be seen, admired, and praised. In contrast, others practiced such actions “in secret,” looking only for God’s approval.

When they were fasting, these hypocrites would look somber or gloomy (v. 16). In modern terms, “disfigure” means they would not wash their faces and perhaps go around rubbing their stomachs and groaning. They wanted everyone to know they were fasting and to be impressed by their “piety.” That, said Jesus, would be the only reward they would ever receive. Ironically, though they were going without food, their pride was being well-fed.

He taught His followers, on the other hand, that they should fast “in secret,” that is, so that others couldn’t tell (vv. 17–18). They should put oil—spiced or perfumed olive oil—on their heads, the equivalent of showering and putting on deodorant today. By caring for their bodies in a normal manner, no one would notice anything different. Only God would know, and He would reward them.

The Pharisees in Jesus’ day were fasting twice per week. But the Law required only one fast per year, on the Day of Atonement (though more were possible). Jesus assumed His disciples and the church would continue this spiritual practice, as He Himself had (Matt. 4:2; 9:15).

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