Father forgive them...

At the most difficult moment of the Savior’s life this is what he was thinking. It is interesting that 1 Corinthians 2:16 says of the Christian that “…we have the mind of Christ." Even as the soldiers tortured the Lord, even as He was exhausted from being nearly beaten to death – He speaks these words: “Father, forgive them...

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." – Luke 23:34

At the most difficult moment of the Savior’s life this is what he was thinking. It is interesting that 1 Corinthians 2:16 says of the Christian that “…we have the mind of Christ." Even as the soldiers tortured the Lord, even as He was exhausted from being nearly beaten to death – He speaks these words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Two things I want to look at today – first: ‘they know not what they do’. This is the truth about every evil thing man does. Grant it they did understand they were going to kill the man, that they were hurting him, that what they were doing was ‘wrong’ – BUT they had no idea the extent of their evil hearts and the wickedness that they were truly taking part of – that they were truly crucifying their Creator. If people only knew the extent of their wickedness and the result of their sinning they would repent immediately and never look back. But they don’t know. They are deaf to the warnings of God. They are spiritually blind and therefore unable to see the path they are walking on ends in eternal death. And because they ‘do not know’ Christ pleads for mercy. And with Christ as our example, therefore, we too ought to plead for God’s mercy towards those who sin against us; and we too ought to give mercy to those who cause us harm as well – for truly they know not what they do. It is Christ they oppose anyway and not us. It is the message they oppose and not the messenger (regardless of what they think). The second thing I want us to see is the request of the dying Savior: “forgive them”. He did not request that their punishment be bearable. Nor did He ask that their payment for such wickedness be reduced to something they could afford. He asked that they be forgiven. That is totally, completely, and irrevocably FREE from ALL consequences of their wicked actions. My heart turns inside of me with overwhelming gratitude as I think of such a request. Because I, we, are no less guilty of crucifying the Lord than those soldiers. We stand there beside them guilty of every last blow the Lord endured. They are no worse of men than any of us and the same request of them and the same love for them Christ has shown to us. Bless His Holy Name – I AM FORGIVEN!!!! How could Christ love me so much and why would He forgive me after all that I’ve done – I can’t fully understand it but I sure do THANK GOD FOR IT! Where would we be if not for full, untainted forgiveness. Again I say: “with Christ as our example…” oh how we ought to forgive as we were forgiven. These men did not even ask for forgiveness or want it – yet Christ gave it. How much more should we as God’s children, forgiven of our sins and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ be quick to forgive those who (just like us when we sin) – truly “know not what they are doing”.

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