Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said,
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
(NKJ)
Acts 7:60 Then he knelt down and
cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when
he had said this, he fell asleep. (NKJ)
Jason was a man in his early
thirties. Good natured, kind and compassionate, he’s the sort of person you
would expect everyone to love. But, unfortunately, there were those who hated
him. Not because he wronged them, but just because they were uncomfortable round
him (sound familiar?) It happened that some of them conspired against him and
laid up false charges. To cut a long story short, he was innocent, but treated
as a criminal. He was sentenced to death. While waiting for his execution, he
shared a prison cell with two criminals. He was in deep agony. But, he knew
what he must do, and he did it. He forgave his enemies and prayed for their
good. And then, he was killed!
Hmmm…the above story is a true one,
and it touches the heart. While He was being killed, He forgave!!! By now, you
should know who Jason is. Yes, I’m referring to Jesus. You see, Jesus looked
beyond the surface and saw the hearts of those crucifying Him. Those folks
thought they were doing the right thing. Jesus responded by being merciful.
And He commands us to do the same.
How do we do
this?
First, know that the Love of God has
been poured out in your heart by the Holy Spirit. (Rom 5:5) So, you have THE
ABILITY to forgive, even if you don’t feel so. So, see yourself OVERFLOWING
with love and mercy!
Second, think back. How many times
have we made up an excuse for ourselves to justify a wrong action? We say stuff
like, ‘I didn’t know’ or ‘It was a genuine mistake’. Well, we should make
excuses for others too. Like the men who crucified Jesus, they may sincerely
not know what they are doing. Like Jesus, let us show mercy, as God has shown
us mercy. (Luke 6:36)
Third, pray for those who hurt you.
(Matt 5:44) Pray that God blesses them and blesses them indeed!
Finally, in all of this, you may not
feel like it. Don’t worry about that! Feelings inevitably follow our actions,
even if it takes time. Remember, God won’t ask you to do something, if you
can’t do it. So, keep praying and keep loving! Then, you’ll be true sons and
daughters of God!!! And true apostles of His calling!
God bless you and
Shalom!
tduke