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Read: Luke 23:32-43
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. - Luke 23:34a
TODAY IN THE WORD
“Forgiveness is like the violet/
Sending forth its pure fragrance/
On the heel of the boot/
Of the one who crushed it.”
So says an anonymous little poem that you may have heard before. On the Cross, Jesus showed Himself to be a “violet” in just this sense.
Yesterday, we began to explore how to forgive as we’ve been forgiven. Today, let’s pursue further the example of Christ in this area. How did He forgive others?
Today’s reading occurs in the context of tremendous physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. Jesus had been beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross. He hung there for all to see, with two condemned criminals on either side, one of whom hurled insults at Him. He had endured unjust trials. His friends had mostly abandoned Him. Because He bore the sins of the world, He was separated from His Father.
These would seem to be the worst possible conditions under which to “feel” God’s love and extend it to others. Yet under these horrible circumstances, Christ’s forgiving love shone brightest. He interceded for His killers, asking God to forgive them (v. 34).
Those Jesus forgave were all those involved in His execution, including the Roman soldiers, Pharisees, and Jewish crowds. “They do not know what they are doing” wasn’t an excuse or proof of their innocence but simply a spiritual fact. These people were oblivious to the reality that they were crucifying the Son of God and that He was willingly dying for the sins of the world, including their sin, according to God’s plan (Acts 2:23).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Christ’s example of forgiveness on the Cross calls us to forgive in the most difficult of circumstances when we least feel like forgiving.
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. - Luke 23:34a
TODAY IN THE WORD
“Forgiveness is like the violet/
Sending forth its pure fragrance/
On the heel of the boot/
Of the one who crushed it.”
So says an anonymous little poem that you may have heard before. On the Cross, Jesus showed Himself to be a “violet” in just this sense.
Yesterday, we began to explore how to forgive as we’ve been forgiven. Today, let’s pursue further the example of Christ in this area. How did He forgive others?
Today’s reading occurs in the context of tremendous physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. Jesus had been beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross. He hung there for all to see, with two condemned criminals on either side, one of whom hurled insults at Him. He had endured unjust trials. His friends had mostly abandoned Him. Because He bore the sins of the world, He was separated from His Father.
These would seem to be the worst possible conditions under which to “feel” God’s love and extend it to others. Yet under these horrible circumstances, Christ’s forgiving love shone brightest. He interceded for His killers, asking God to forgive them (v. 34).
Those Jesus forgave were all those involved in His execution, including the Roman soldiers, Pharisees, and Jewish crowds. “They do not know what they are doing” wasn’t an excuse or proof of their innocence but simply a spiritual fact. These people were oblivious to the reality that they were crucifying the Son of God and that He was willingly dying for the sins of the world, including their sin, according to God’s plan (Acts 2:23).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Christ’s example of forgiveness on the Cross calls us to forgive in the most difficult of circumstances when we least feel like forgiving.
I am new to the board, but what you have said about forgiveness has touched my heart. Thank you so much and God bless you.
Helen
