Unfinished Business

May 19, 2015

Unfinished Business

Jesus said,

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34a

Why did Jesus extend forgiveness to those who were murdering him? The murderers neither asked for, nor apparently wanted his forgiveness; in the very next verse we learn the soldiers started gambling for his garments. I have long assumed Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness was an indication that he was so much a better person than those gathered at his feet. Unquestionably that is true, but there was so much more at work in Jesus’ prayer.

Jesus was practicing what he preached; he was praying for his enemies. He also was modeling for us the importance of tending to all of the unfinished business in our lives. When we have been hurt by others, our offer of forgiveness is liberating. Our forgiveness of others enables us to move on with our lives. So also when we have sinned against others, when we seek forgiveness, we are freed to move on with our lives. Either way, our unwillingness to forgive, or to seek forgiveness, keeps us bound in chains to our past.

Jesus prayed for those who nailed him to the cross. That prayer set him free to offer another prayer a few hours later, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46a NRSV).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms is available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ is available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.