May 13, 2016

Jesus Leads The Way

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. -- Luke 23:34

As far as anniversaries go, it really isn’t a major one. And yet it changed so many lives forever.

One person made a decision. It was his to make, though no one else agreed with it. That set off a chain reaction of events and consequences that we will live with for the rest of our lives.

It wasn’t so much that the decision changed us all. It’s that the decision, and its aftermath, revealed hearts and desires and motives that had been carefully hidden from view. Once exposed, such things never go back into hiding. We are all different for that.

The events began a long, long time ago. It’s what happens when anger and resentment and jealousy aren’t dealt with and are instead allowed to fester and grow. It’s what happens in broken families who focus on pretending to be what they aren’t rather than trying to become what they desire.

It comes back to the hearts of the people involved. We’re all flawed. We’re humans after all. But lies and hatred are a lethal combination, one that can only be overcome with prayer.

The Pharisees hated Jesus. They felt threatened by Him. Certainly, Jesus knew who and what they were. So they rallied a crowd against Him and Jesus died an unimaginable death on the cross.

While people watched. What could possibly have been in the hearts of those who watched Jesus die? Certainly some of those who loved Him were there. His mother. John. Others.

But what about those who were part of the crowd? How could they join the frenzy? And how could they live with themselves afterwards? Even if they didn’t believe Jesus to be the Messiah, surely they understood that a good man shouldn’t die for the sins of others?

And, yet, He did. Jesus died for me and you. He died for us all so that whoever believes in Him, believes that He rose three days later and now sits at God’s right hand, will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

And you know what else this passage says? Jesus forgave them. As He suffered on that cross, Jesus forgave those who put Him there. How powerful! How magnificent! How could we ever not forgive our own to tormentors?

Life will never be the same. Forgiveness is hard. But Jesus lights the path and I follow Him. In the end, that’s really all that matters.