October 11, 2017

FORGIVENESS OR JUDGMENT

Luke 23:34

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Encouraging Words

It still amazes me how much of our Western Christianity views God as a mean, judgmental, hateful God. What flows out of this doctrine is a tendency to become mean, judgmental, hateful people that call ourselves Christians. We divide over petty things in our churches. We cast aspersions on people or groups that don't hold to our defined beliefs or desires. We damn people to hell when we do not have that right or the authority to do that. Here we have Jesus Christ, God Incarnate. God and man in one body who has never committed a sin in His life. He healed the blind, the lame, the deaf and those with all forms of illness, never expecting anything in return. He raised people from the dead and fed the hungry. He loved His creation unconditionally. And when they beat Him, spit on Him, and hung Him on the cross, did He call down God's judgment on them? No! He asked the Father to forgive them. That is unconditional love, Our Eastern practice of Christianity focuses on the love of God and the fact that none of us deserves it, which is why we pray regularly... Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!