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FATHER, FORGIVE THEM
Luke 23:34
The Jewish leaders spat on Jesus.. punched Him.. ridiculed Him.. Pilate had Him flogged to within an inch of His life.. The soldiers ridiculed Him.. put a crown of thorns on His head.. spat on Him.. and struck him again and again on the head with a staff. Then they made Him walk to the place of crucifixion.. threw Him to the ground.. nailed Him to the cross beam of the cross, and hauled it up onto the vertical beam. He was in unbearable agony. And yet.. the first words that came from His lips were these: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing [Luke 23:34]. And it seems very likely He did not say it once.. but over and over.. The way that Luke expresses it in his own language – Greek – suggests.. He was saying.. again and again.. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. I have been blessed by pondering this.. and invite you to reflect on it with me now.. As I try to take it in.. my first reaction is.. WHAT AN EXAMPLE! About 30 years later the Apostle Peter reflected on the way Jesus had handled His suffering and wrote: 1 Peter 2:23.. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Why didn’t He hit back? He entrusted Himself to God the Father.. who judges justly.. always does what is right. He lived out the promise made by God in Deuteronomy 32:35.. It is mine to avenge; I will repay. And He not only endured.. and refrained from hitting back.. He prayed.. Father, forgive them! What a Man! What an example!
My second reaction is.. WHAT A REASON TO DIE! When Jesus prays, Father, forgive them.. we get a glimpse of the reason He suffered and died. About 30 years later.. as Peter reflected he wrote.. 1 Peter 2:24.. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. Jesus did not die for His own sins.. He was innocent of any crime.. perfect, sinless.. It was for our sins He died. He bore our sins in His body on the tree! He took our place.. paid our penalty.. died our death.. so that we could be pardoned.. made whole.. and live new lives, good lives, righteous lives! Some of us may not accept the fact that we have sinned. But the Bible is quite clear that every last one of us has sinned. We have fallen far short of what God requires. What does He require? That we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, strength.. and that we love our neighbour as ourselves. I for one.. know that I have fallen short.. and I rejoice that Jesus took my place.. died my death.. and sets me free! An old song puts it so well..
He dies to atone For sins not
His own;
For you and for me He prayed on
the tree:
My third reaction is.. WHAT A RESULT! Peter was writing to people who had heard about Jesus dying for them.. and had believed.. and relied on Him for pardon.. He writes.. 1 Peter 2:25.. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. The Bible quite often compares us to sheep.. and to sheep that have wandered off from the shepherd.. and are going it alone. I spent my youth on a farm.. and know how frustrating sheep can be. You are about to drive the flock through a gate into fresh pasture.. and one or two decide go their own way and lead others after them.. or you are trying to pen them for crutching.. or shearing.. and again you must always be alert for the one that will head in a different direction and lead others with it.. How foolish. We intend to help them.. to give them good pasture.. freedom from flies and pain.. but they run away from us.. That is the very nature of sin – to run away from God.... and to go it alone. That is what we have all done.. and we need to return.. to God.. to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.. What a difference that makes. The emptiness in our lives is filled.. our deepest longings are satisfied.. we live with a new confidence.. we are not alone in this sometimes mad world.. He is with us.. and with us no matter what we may go through.. with us in suffering.. in sorrow.. in death.. And He gives us hope.. one day we will dwell with Him.. for ever.. Another song puts it so well..
The King of love my Shepherd is,
My fourth reaction is.. WHAT A CHALLENGE! Peter was writing to believers who were suffering.. He writes.. 1 Peter 2:20,21.. If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 3:9.. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. Don’t hit back. Be like Jesus. The Apostle Paul goes further.. Ephesians 4:32.. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Look at the cross. It speaks of the death.. and resurrection of Jesus.. It speaks of God’s great love for us.. of God’s forgiveness! And the challenge to all who believe in Jesus.. who have been forgiven.. is this.. be like Jesus.. be forgiving people! Peter once asked Jesus how many times he should forgive.. 7 times? Jesus replied.. No.. seventy times 7.. and went on to tell a story to drive home the truth.. forgiven people are to be forgiving people! That is the challenge. Corrie ten Boom faced this challenge. She had suffered the horrors of a concentration camp during World War 2. After the war she was speaking at churches in Germany. She writes.. It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former SS man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck… He came to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.. to think as you say, He has washed my sins away.” His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people.. the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness. As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. [Hiding Place p220].
We have reflected on the words of Jesus.. Father, forgive them.. What an example! He did not hit back, but forgave! What a reason to die! He died to deal with our sins. What a result! We can be totally forgiven and restored to a close walk with God. Let’s reach out to Him.. invite Him into our lives.. receive His forgiveness. Then let’s rise to the challenge.. be like Him.. forgive that person.. those people. It will make a huge difference to us.. and to all our relationships.. to the whole of our life!
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