As Jesus was suffering violently on the cross, a cry came out from his finite humanness, from a golden, bleeding heart of love. “Abba! Forgive them! They don’t know what they’re doing!” Let us pause to think about this and let its full power sink into our hearts. Instead of Jesus crying out to his Father on behalf of himself for the pain he was enduring, saying “Abba! Help me! Please give me your strength!” Jesus heart was wholly taken up in love for his murderers, expressing deepest concern for them and pleading their case to his Father. This was not just Jesus trying to set an example of loving enemies, rather it was him expressing his genuine concern in the moment. Even though stakes were being driven into Jesus hands and feet, and he was screaming in agony, those screams came out as love for his murderers and cries for their forgiveness. Luke 23:34 uses the verb “elegan” which implies that Jesus was repeating the phrase over and over again. It was almost like he was begging the Father to please understand: Abba! Abba! Please! Forgive them! They don’t understand what they are doing! They dont know! They dont know! Abba! Please! Forgive them! Whether Jesus knew or not, the Father did understand, and Jesus was actually manifesting perfectly the Fathers heart. The humanity of Christ reveals who God is. The nature of God was being magnified, exalted, shining most radiantly; and the whole world was watching. This cry gushing forth from the bleeding heart and body of Jesus was ripping through history, unto all nations, until all remember and turn back home. The Father was pouring forth his divine love into the world in that moment, expressing his unconditional forgiveness through Christs excruciatingly perfect empathy for humanity. And as I sit here in 21st century America, 2,000 years later, I write this with tears and a burning heart. The Father has revealed his love through Christ. The cry of Christ has reached me. Thank you Father. You are beautiful.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 04:34:52 +0000
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