“…and Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Luke 23:34
We can find two aspects in our scripture today teaching us about forgiveness. First, the heart of God is for.giving mercy and second, like Christ, our hearts must hold the same.
I believe, as Christians, our ability to forgive others stems from a heart that understands how much we’ve been forgiven. To whom much is given much is required, are the words of Jesus from Luke 12:48.
Jesus also relays a parable from Luke 7 about forgiveness and sums it up by telling us the one who has been forgiven much loves much.
As we approach our Christian celebration of the Easter Holiday, we highlight the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Each gospel book records this event, yet only Luke records our scripture today,“Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”
The greatest truth in our gospel story of Jesus Christ is that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.
But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Our celebration from Good Friday through Resurrection Sunday is the story of redemption based upon the love and forgiveness God extended to all mankind through the gift of his son’s life.
The will to surrender His only son, displays the immeasurable riches of Gods love for all.
My prayer is that we would hold the power of this truth as a daily and vital standard for well being. Mindful of how much we have been forgiven; mindful that Jesus was not sent to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him, enables us to freely give what we have freely received.