And Jesus said, “Father,forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Jesus was dying.
He did not deserve to die, but He had been sentenced by the rulers of his day to death out of envy, fear, and pride. Roman crucifixion was a horrible way to die and He was near the end.
Wicked persons have historically tried to blame particular groups for the death of Jesus. This is bad theology and false to human nature. It is human nature to side with short-time power. It is in all of us to fear prophetic voices, especially those that hold the Word of God as more important than the demands of the powerful.
Those that are expert on this, the theologians, have said that we all crucified Jesus. Human sin, including my own, cost the Son of God life.
What does this mean?
It is a profound and deep topic worth a life time of reading and study, even for a layman such as I am.
Great books have been written on it and any attempt to explain it in a few short paragraphs carries all the risk of explaining modern physics in the same space with even greater danger of misunderstanding!
Mystics have meditated on it and great saints have lived it out. The Word of God, the source for all right revelation of God, speaks of this redemption in Christ on every page.
But while the depth and riches of what Jesus did cannot be easily explained, I can witness to them. This testimony of transformation in the light of the God-Man one meets in the Bible is not much, but it is something.
Sin is falling short of perfect Love. God’s will is love and His law is love. Humanity, needless to say, decides daily to defy this law. We hate and we are selfish. We hurt others.
It is hard to admit sometimes, but my sin crucified Him.
The good news is in the words of Jesus that began this reflection. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him.
Shame.
Guilt.
Forgiven by Jesus!
Why would I want to blame others for His death? He offered His killers a priceless gift: forgiveness.
Unless we are arrogant enough to think ourselves guiltless, we should rejoice that out of His sublime love, through no merit of our own, came mercy. It is much less interesting to know that I crucified Him . . . that I am wicked is no wonder . . . but that He forgave us all, including me, is good news.
If I admit I crucified Him, then I can receive His mercy from the Cross I helped create.
Mercy!
Christ had mercy on all humankind when not one of us deserved it. We failed love utterly, but Love Himself did not fail us.
Thank you Jesus.
Thank you Lord Jesus.
Thank you for Mercy, dearest Lord Jesus.