Scripture: Luke 23:24
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
Thought for the Day: I have seen this moment portrayed on the big screen and on the stage, and it almost always gets a heartfelt sigh from the audience. I would be among them, yet I am coming to believe that a sigh – even a really deep and sincere sigh – is not the adequate response to this moment. We too often spout off the adage, “Jesus died for my sins.” At no point does such a statement appear in scripture. There are references to Jesus dying for “our” sins (1 Cor. 15:3), Jesus dying for “all” (2 Cor. 5:15) or Jesus “taking away” the sin of the world (John 1:29), but never a reference to some individual/personal/one-on-one take on forgiveness and mercy. In 1st John 2:2, we read: “He (Jesus) is God’s way of dealing with our sins, not only ours but the sins of the whole world.” It is all plural, but it is also speaking beyond our little individual mistakes that make us feel bad. The death of Jesus is cosmic in nature, and it is a declaration of God’s way of life: Sacrificial love. God is not so petty as to require some death before forgiveness can be offered. That was the teaching of an 11th century monk named Anselm. Jesus died because the world was/is so enveloped in the sins of selfishness, greed and violence. Jesus’ death offered the alternative to this way of living, and his declaration from the cross helped to bring this point to life. He did not say, “As soon as you receive the blood of my sacrifice, you can forgive Bruce for teasing that boy back in the 4th grade.” Instead, he was offering himself fully to the cause of a new kingdom, full of grace and mercy. Jesus died because the sins of the world hated his message, but he also died in such a way that we glimpsed a whole new way of living.
Prayer: Holy God, you are full of mercy and grace. Allow us to see in the life of Jesus, not only the powerful teachings about your mercy and grace, but a clear example for how we are to live…and not just as individuals, but how we live corporately. Amen.
See You In Worship
