FORGIVEN

Luke 22:32-34 – There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

We have to take the trip to Calvary at least at this time every year to listen again to the sweet words of our Lord. There can not be any words that are sweeter than these, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do”. These were words for all of us prayed from the cross that day; these were words prayed for the cursing soldier, prayers for the Centurion in charge, words for the dying thieves, even prayers for His disciple who had fled (except for John) and were nowhere to be found. This prayer was also for me and for you. All those wasted years when we did our own thing ignoring His love for us, in the end it was those prayers that called us all back to Him. Here is how Spurgeon described this prayer.

“I wish I could write words that were as loud as thunder, with a sense and earnestness as mighty as the lightning. I would gladly excite every Christian and kindle in him a right idea of what his work is as a part of Christ’s church. My brethren, you must not live to yourselves; the accumulation of money, the bringing up of your children, the building of houses, the earning of your daily bread, all this you may do; but there must be a greater object than this if you are to be Christlike, as you should be, since you are bought with Jesus’ blood. Begin to live for others, make it apparent unto all men that you are not yourselves the end-all and be-all of your own existence, but that you are spending and being spent, that through the good you do to men God may be glorified, and Christ may see in you His own image and be satisfied.”

The Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, had a way with words. He reminds us today of the power of those words that poured out of the dying Savior, “Father forgive them”. This is the prayer that changed the world. This is the prayer that changed my life. This is the prayer that Jesus is praying today, “Father forgive them, they do not know what they do”.