Forgiveness

‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ ” Luke 23:34

 

Pointing the finger at someone who has done something drastically wrong and should have known better, I allow myself to be foolish.

Thinking back on my life, I made a lot of stupid mistakes because I simply was not thinking.  Not thinking of consequences to myself, not thinking of consequences to others, not thinking of how others would view God because of my actions.

Then, there were times when I knew deep inside that my actions were going to hurt me, others and most importantly, God.  But I did them anyway. Sometimes out of anger, despair, frustration, anxiety.

When I think of Jesus hanging on the cross, looking down at those who just nailed Him to it and with compassion and love in His eyes saying “Father, forgive them,” I have to ask myself “What kind of Person really does this?”

In our world of pain, I don’t see this exemplified.  Sometimes I hear it ridiculed. As if we are better than anyone else.

The example we are given challenges us from looking around to each other and instead looking to the cross.  Only then, can I look at my fellow man/woman who has a knife stuck in my back and say “I forgive you.  You just don’t know what you’re doing.”

The strong pull in my heart to do the “easier” thing and judge is something I fight against every day.

Sometimes I feel if someone just gave my heart a shot of anesthesia, perhaps that would work.

But it was through sweat and blood that Jesus forgave.  And so I need to lean on Him so that I too can have the strength through sweat and blood to say:

Father, forgive them.