"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." - Romans 8:34
"Father, forgive them,..."
Were these words uttered for those laughing at the foot of the cross? Was it intended for the Romans, the Pharisees, Pilate, those who turned their backs on Christ? Was it is reference to the Judas, Herod, Caiaphas? Those being crucified on His left and right? The
Really evil ones?
The scum?
"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."
Divine irony stretches over 2000 years, and falls on us today.
Or does it slap us in the face?
They didn't know what they were doing.
We know
exactly what we do.
We lie. We condemn. We spit. We strip. We beat. We whip. We nail. We laugh. We walk away.
And yet, "
Father, forgive them," still applies. Echoed from the cross. Reaching the ears of God the Father.
Lent brings us face to face with the reality that yes, we are forgiven, but we know
exactly what we do. We have history on our side, thousands of years of trial and error, and yet we still crucify Him. We still spit on Him. He still beat Him and laugh at His pathetic weakness. In many way, Lent is a mirror. A mirror that reflects through 2000 years and thousands of mile. All the way to
Roman America. Lent reveals to us the very uncomfortable reality that we are no different than those that Jesus let off the hook on Good Friday. We are one. Unity, even when it sucks.
Lord, thank you for your forgiveness, even when we know exactly what we're doing. Help us to receive Your forgiveness with open and humble hearts. Help us to give the same forgiveness to each other, even when we know perfectly well the destruction we do to Your Kingdom. Amen
