Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
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Christ Is Forgiving
Forgiving (for·giv·ing) excusing an offense without exacting a penalty
Christ’s entire ministry rests on the foundation of forgiveness. He consistently preached about forgiveness during His life and taught it through parables.
Still, it is one thing to speak about forgiveness or to forgive sins that are not directly impacting you. In this verse from Luke, Jesus makes it very personal. He appeals to God to forgive those who have directly harmed Him and tried to take away His dignity as a man. This is forgiveness that transcends theory and reaches right out to the heart of what it means to truly forgive and be forgiven. This is the sort of forgiveness that is not possible to achieve without God’s hand firmly upon our hearts, but it is exactly the sort of forgiveness that God desires for us to exhibit to others.
Pray
Ask God to soften your heart towards any whom you bear a grudge against. Pray for those people right now. Ask for God, through His strength, to bring you to the point where you can forgive them.
Ask Yourself
Do you bear ill will towards any person? Is there anyone that you do not show Christ’s love to because of their attitude towards you? Has anyone, who you have not forgiven, committed any offense against you greater than those that were committed against Jesus?
Take Action
Jesus did not wait until after His death and resurrection to forgive. He forgave those around Him immediately. Follow His example this week and, after prayer, reconcile yourself with those who you hold a grudge against or carry ill will towards. Turn over these relationships to God.
