Forgive them

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

FORGIVE THEM

Luke 23:32-34

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals — one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."  And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

NIV

This is one of what is normally considered one of the seven last words of Jesus. We have heard this explained in various ways but we believe there is one way in which we should consider what Jesus is doing on the cross. When we examine the life of Jesus, at least during his public ministry, we find he spent his time doing two basic things. He taught about the kingdom of God, and He healed all that came to him, He also raised three people from the dead, which is still healing. We do not think Jesus stopped teaching even as he was on the cross. It would not be right to think Jesus was now thinking only of himself. First, going to the cross was and is all about his creation, us, and secondly, what he said from the cross is also all about us. Of course, there is the question as to who Jesus is asking the Father to forgive. Was it the godless Romans, that did not know what they were doing? We don’t think so, as the Romans were experts at crucifying a person and they could care less about being forgiven by the God of the Jews. Therefore, we think Jesus was asking the Father to forgive the Jews who hated him so much they got the Romans to crucify him. Was it because they did not know they were following the will of the Father that they needed forgiveness? No, it was because they refused to understand Jesus was the Messiah and accepted the grace of God he was offering them. But the most important truth here is Jesus was teaching the truth of forgiveness. In the middle of the worst offense against him, when certain people hated him so much, he was still forgiving them. He was teaching us the truth of forgiveness. When we consider how he taught us to pray we recite that prayer almost without thought, but the part of forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us, although we sometimes say, trespasses instead of sin. Jesus also taught that if we forgive those who offend us, sin against us, or commit a trespass against us, God will forgive our sins, offenses, and trespasses against him, but if we do not forgive those who sinned against us, God will not forgive our sins against him. That is a harsh teaching, but on the cross, Jesus still is teaching about forgiveness, and he is asking the Father to forgive those so filled with hatred toward him who committed murder in their hearts, another truth Jesus taught. Forgiveness must always be in the forefront of our minds and hearts. We must always forgive all the time, every time. Forgiveness means we will never bring any offense anyone commits against us up again. We will never keep that record of wrong, not ever, because we forgave them. However, when we think someone has offended us or sinned against us, we might be thinking too highly of ourselves than we should. If we are living a life of love, and are exhibiting the grace of God, how can we be offended by someone? But the truth is, we also are flawed, and so we always need to forgive. The truth Jesus taught us, “Father forgive them”, even when they are unaware, did not know they offended us.