April 27
Luke 23:13-43
What would living a perfect life look like? In Jesus, we see exactly what this means. He did not just teach us how to live; he exemplified it in all he did. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray by telling them to, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This lesson was then perfectly embodied by Jesus while he was suffering on the cross. Mere hours from his death Jesus responded by forgiving his murderers. Part of a perfect, mature life is the ability to forgive. Even forgiving those who are causing difficulty, suffering, pain, and yes, even death.
This radical forgiveness was followed by Stephen in Acts, by countless other martyrs throughout church history, by the family of In-Ho Oh, and by Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. They all understood that failure to forgive is not only disobedience to God but walls us off from the heart of God. Jesus not only forgave his killers; but he also extended forgiveness to the criminal at his side. We do not know the extent of his crimes, but Jesus washes them all away. Jesus is not only the model for our forgiveness. He also is the grounds for forgiveness as well. As we have experienced the forgiveness of God, we are to extend that to others. We need to choose to forgive. It might be hard and painful, but forgiveness is truly the path of life. As we extend it, we are also able to experience it in a new and fresh way. So let us be beacons of forgiveness in our relationships today.
Father God, thank you for the forgiveness I have received from you. Help me to extend this to others. Amen.
What keeps you from quickly extending forgiveness?
What would living a perfect life look like? In Jesus, we see exactly what this means. He did not just teach us how to live; he exemplified it in all he did. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray by telling them to, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This lesson was then perfectly embodied by Jesus while he was suffering on the cross. Mere hours from his death Jesus responded by forgiving his murderers. Part of a perfect, mature life is the ability to forgive. Even forgiving those who are causing difficulty, suffering, pain, and yes, even death.
This radical forgiveness was followed by Stephen in Acts, by countless other martyrs throughout church history, by the family of In-Ho Oh, and by Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. They all understood that failure to forgive is not only disobedience to God but walls us off from the heart of God. Jesus not only forgave his killers; but he also extended forgiveness to the criminal at his side. We do not know the extent of his crimes, but Jesus washes them all away. Jesus is not only the model for our forgiveness. He also is the grounds for forgiveness as well. As we have experienced the forgiveness of God, we are to extend that to others. We need to choose to forgive. It might be hard and painful, but forgiveness is truly the path of life. As we extend it, we are also able to experience it in a new and fresh way. So let us be beacons of forgiveness in our relationships today.
Father God, thank you for the forgiveness I have received from you. Help me to extend this to others. Amen.
What keeps you from quickly extending forgiveness?
Recent
Archive
2026
January
January 1January 2January 3January 4January 5January 6January 7January 8January 9January 10January 11January 12January 13January 14January 15January 16January 17January 18January 19January 20January 21January 22January 23January 24January 25January 26January 27January 28January 29January 30January 31
February
March
Categories
no categories
No Comments