A Forgiving Christian, #3

I just finished watching The Passion of the Christ for about the seventh time. I know, you probably think I am some kind of sadistic Christian who enjoys violence and blood. In spite of numerous complaints from critics, I find the movie—well—moving. I do not watch it to torture myself over Jesus’ cruel and painful death, knowing I was responsible for it. No, I watch the film because it teaches me something fresh about Jesus every time.

This time around I took notice of Jesus’ actions and words influencing all those around him. No one could seem to just ignore the Galilean carpenter. Take Jesus’ final day of life as an example. He is kidnapped, while praying in a garden, by the religious leaders of his day. He is taken before a council and condemned to die. During the course of the night he is beaten, completely humiliated, and lied about. Not allowed time for a short rest or break, the soldiers take him before Pilate in the early morning. His own people demand his death sentence and receive it. Betrayed, beaten, humiliated, and thoroughly exhausted, Jesus is forced to carry his instrument of death. Finally he is nailed to the cross, giving his last breath to his Father and to his cause.

In spite of all the injustices committed against him, Jesus manages to influence those around him. Take a look at his final accomplishments. By his silence, he convinces a government official (who has all but given up on God and truth) to ponder the meaning of life. While he is being nailed to the cross, he asks his father to forgive those who are crucifying him. Then as he is being mocked and dying on the cross he does not bother to defend himself. Seeing these things, a lifelong criminal admits his guilt and a heart full of sin is made whole again.

And moments after Jesus takes his last breath, a soldier is convinced he is not from this world. What could possibly possess a Roman solider, someone who would typically hate all Jews, to admire this dead king? Could it have been the forgiveness Jesus requested for his crucifiers?

Now when Jesus asked his Father to forgive them, he was not asking God to pretend the crucifixion did not happen. Neither was he trying to be a last minute example to his disciples. He was releasing his offenders from their offense. He was saying, “Father I know what they are doing to me is wrong, but I want you to forgive them. I want you to look on them as if they had never killed me, refusing to punish them for this crime.”

Notice Jesus did not wait for apologies. If he refused to forgive until he received a heartfelt apology, there would be a lot of unforgiven people walking around. If Jesus forgave without an apology from his offenders, then shouldn’t we do the same?

I know what you are thinking, “That isn’t fair!” Now you are starting to understand forgiveness. “But then he will get away with what he did to me!” That is not your concern. “But she has to be punished!” So says justice, but not grace. Grace means the offender goes unpunished, and the offended suffers.

The question I want to ask today is a difficult one; one I am searching to answer in my heart. If today was your final day, how would you live it? Holding onto what others have unjustly done to you, would you cling to bitterness and refuse to release them from God’s wrath (and maybe your own)? Or would you choose to live as a vessel of forgiveness, freeing all those who have wounded you, betrayed you? Murdered you?