“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).
As our Saviour hung on the cross, it would have been understandable for Him to fail to forgive his executioners and critics. But His reason for asking the Father to forgive them is their ignorance. Brethren, sometimes we struggle to forgive people because we assume our “enemies” (& “frienemies”) know exactly what they’re doing. They may appear to know and may even claim that they do, but more often than not, people hurt us ignorantly. For instance, if they knew that hurting you will also hurt them in the end, would they go ahead? If they knew that they’d reap whatever they sow, would they still sow seeds of discord? If they knew that God shall hold them accountable for all their lies and malice, would they go ahead still? Of course, they wouldn’t, in all likelihood. This PASSOVER, let’s resolve to go Jesus’ way. Forgive them all, for they don’t know what they do.
Pastor Josh