Devotion:
Read Luke 23:32-34.
Jesus would have been roughly thrown down on his back onto the horizontal cross piece, and his arms would have been stretched out on each side. The pain would have been excruciating as the iron spikes were driven between the arm bones, the radius and the ulna, just above the wrist joint, first one and then the other. Lifted into the air with Jesus now attached, the cross piece dropped into its bracket on the vertical piece that was permanently set in the ground. Then his legs were bent up slightly at the knees, and his ankles were nailed to the upright. The agonized human response would be to despise those who had inflicted such horrific pain on him. But instead, he asked his Father to forgive them. Even in this horrific situation, Jesus knew they were ignorant and should not be punished for their actions.
Often today, when a suspect is convicted of murder, the family of the victim will be interviewed. They usually express relief, often mentioning closure, and are grateful that justice has been done. On a very few rare occasions, we see the family express sorrow for the convicted person’s family and even say they have forgiven the murderer. That is following the very difficult example of Jesus Christ!
Personal Worship Option:
All of us have been wronged or hurt by others. Sometimes we hold onto the hurt and have difficulty letting it go. Pray today for the ability to forgive, using this example of Christ as the ultimate witness of forgiveness.
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