[Faith-talk] FW: FW: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] Re: [HeartsForHim] "Father, Forgive Them"

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "Eric Calhoun" <eric at pmpmail.com>
To: fa ith-ta flk at nfbnet.org
Subject: FW: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] Re: [HeartsForHim] "Father, Forgive
Them"
Date: 
4/20/2011 5:55:02 PM



Original Message: 
From: Juanita Rose <sunflower67216 at yahoo.com>
To: URCTCPrayerGroup2 at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] Re: [HeartsForHim] "Father, Forgive Them"
Date: 
Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:21:08 -0700 (PDT)




"Father, Forgive Them"
by Max Lucado
The dialogue that Friday morning was bitter.
>From the onlookers, "Come down from the cross if you are the Son of God!"
>From the religious leaders, "He saved others but he can't save himself."
>From the soldiers, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
Bitter words. Acidic with sarcasm. Hateful. Irreverent. Wasn't it enough
that he 
was being crucified? Wasn't it enough that he was being shamed as a
criminal? 
Were the nails insufficient? Was the crown of thorns too soft? Had the
flogging 
been too short?
For some, apparently so...
Of all the scenes around the cross, this one angers me the most. What
kind of 
people, I ask myself, would mock a dying man? Who would be so base as to
pour 
the salt of scorn upon open wounds? How low and perverted to sneer at one
who is 
laced with pain.
The words thrown that day were meant to wound. And there is nothing more
painful 
than words meant to hurt.
If you have suffered or are suffering because of someone else's words,
you'll be 
glad to know that there is a balm for this laceration. Meditate on these
words 
from 1 Peter 2:23 (NIV):
"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he
suffered, 
he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges
justly."
Did you see what Jesus did not do? He did not retaliate. He did not bite
back. 
He did not say, "I'll get you!" "Come on up here and say that to my
face!" "Just 
wait until after the resurrection, buddy!" No, these statements were not
found 
on Christ's lips.
Did you see what Jesus did do? He "entrusted himself to him who judges
justly." 
Or said more simply, he left the judging to God. He did not take on the
task of 
seeking revenge. He demanded no apology. He hired no bounty hunters and
sent out 
no posse. He, to the astounding contrary, spoke on their defense.
"Father, 
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."? (Luke 23:34
NIV).
"they don't know what they are doing."
And when you think about it, they didn't. They hadn't the faintest idea
what 
they were doing. They were a stir-crazy mob, mad at something they
couldn't see 
so they took it out on, of all people, God. But they didn't know what
they were 
doing.
Yes, the dialogue that Friday morning was bitter. The verbal stones were
meant 
to sting. How Jesus, with a body wracked with pain, eyes blinded by his
own 
blood, and lungs yearning for air, could speak on behalf of some
heartless thugs 
is beyond my comprehension. Never, never have I seen such love. If ever a
person 
deserved a shot at revenge, Jesus did. But he didn't take it. Instead he
died 
for them. How could he do it? I don't know. But I do know that all of a
sudden 
my wounds seem very painless. My grudges and hard feelings are suddenly 
childish.
Sometimes I wonder if we don't see Christ's love as much in the people he

tolerated as in the pain he endured.
Amazing Grace.