Losing - Tenth Avenue North

"Father, please forgive me."
A whole lot easier than, "Father, Please forgive them."

We want to hold onto the right of being wronged.

But who was the One we first remember having said, "Father, forgive them"? 

Jesus. 

Others in the Old Testament, such as Joshua, David, and Daniel asked for forgiveness of others, but Jesus's case was different. It was much more personal. In the other cases, saints prayed for the wrongs committed by Israel. Yes, they were devastating, and I don't doubt the men who prayed were broken by the sins caused by others.

But when Jesus prayed, He was literally being tortured and killed with anger and hatred for the "blasphemy" of saying He was doing the very thing that He indeed was doing. Being sinless, he had cause more than anyone to spew wrath upon them for their wrongs. Instead, He interceded to His Father to overlook it.

How can we do that? We have such a desire for the wrong to be made right. How can we overlook it and let justice turn her head? 

Only by the help of the Spirit. But it must be done to show Christ to those around us. We can astound no one by our own love. But God's love will floor the nations. Be His conduit.