Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” —Luke 23:34
It might seem like there’s a point at which forgiveness is impossible—until we look at Jesus.
He was despised and hated, ridiculed, humiliated, betrayed, and beaten. What was His response to this kind of treatment? He said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
If Jesus could offer forgiveness to those who were crucifying Him, you and I should be able to offer forgiveness to those who wrong us— no matter how painful. The good news is that we don’t have to do it alone. The same One who offered forgiveness on the cross can live through us and give us His ability to forgive.
“To be a Christian,” C. S. Lewis said, “means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. 1
When it comes to forgiveness, our Lord would not command us to do something that He would not enable us to do or that He hasn’t done Himself.
1 C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (New York: HarperOne, 2001) 182.
Make it Personal
How does knowing that Jesus offered forgiveness on the cross help you in situations where you feel it’s “impossible” to forgive?