THEN JESUS SAID, FATHER FORGIVE THEM
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”
– Luke 23:34
How does it feel when you showed someone undying love, stand by the person and have his or her back and then the person turns around and stab you in the face?
Surely, you’ll feel like given the person a full dose of the offering, especially if you are in the position of power to make sure such a person do not go unpunished.
I should know because just last week, I was deeply hurt by a person I have shown love.
Jesus was beating, injured, bruised, mocked and all the while, He did not do anything wrong. If you have ever received a blow (I’m talking a physical punch in the face for doing nothing wrong) then you may have a very faint idea what He must have gone through that day.
The nails that pierced his hands must have restricted the movement in his arms, the crown of thorns that tore into his skin, the whip on his back, they spat on Him and made jest, some said He saved others, can’t He save Himself? Then He was made to carry His cross till Simon took over… Then He was hanged, not with the slightest chance of attending to any of the pains His body felt.
Jesus cried “Father, Father why have you forsaken me? Because for the first time, God turned His face away from somebody – His own son. God could not behold sin and that was exactly what Jesus looked like. He looked horrible like our sins because on that cross, He carried it all on His body.
And as they mocked Him, He said,”Father forgive them…”
Geez! for most… In fact all of us, that cannot come easy when we are wrongly punished for what we did not do. What extent of love, that while we are yet sinners, Christ thought we were worth it and died for us.
Dear Jesus, even as I dine with you this morning, Give me the grace to love like you and pray for those who hurt me, I have not found it easy to do that because all I want when I’m hurt is retribution but not my will anymore, let Your will be done. Thank You Jesus – Amen.
*sips coffee and inserts CD… #NowPlaying: “Tenth Avenue North – Losing”*
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