Text: Matthew 27: 32-46
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
And sitting down they watched him there;
And set up over his head his accusation written,
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Probably no period in the history of mankind was as dark as Matt. 27:46 Where Jesus in agony said “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?” Jesus was nailed to the cross for baseless allegation from man. But God forsook Him because He was bearing the sins of the world. Yet, in that ugly situation, Jesus had compassion on those who put Him in pain and said, “Father forgive them, for they knOw not what they do Luke 23:34. What can someone do to you that can be worse than what Jesus endured and forgave? Are you battling with bitterness because you were robbed? Did someone deceive and dupe you? Were you jilted by someone you thought of marrying? May be someone took what rightly belonged to you and threatened to kill you Do you know the person who is plotting evil or shame towards you?
These and others may be our experience. Truly, one will be hurt. Yet God want us to forgive. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:14-15). In any painful situation, Christ is an example to follow. George Herbert once said “He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass; for every man has need to be forgiven”. Lewis B.S. said to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. Beloved, let us forgive those who offend us. “Be ye kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” Eph. 4:32.
Authentic forgiveness stems from a deep faith that we are enough, that love is abundant, and that even though we have been wronged, we don’t have to spend our emotional energy trying to have that “debt” paid back to us. This kind of trust doesn’t come easily! It takes practice to train our minds to learn to let go of what’s not important, so we can make room for things that really matter. That’s what Forgiveness offers -- a place for people to come together and focus on ways to learn to accept, forgive and love each other.