"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals-one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. The offered Him wine vinegar and said, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself." There was a written notice above Him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. - Luke 23:33-38
Dawn comes to Jerusalem…following a night of inky darkness in much the same way that it comes to the rest of the world. The sky slowly turns a light rosy pink as the sun rises over the Mt. Of Olives. It sends it's first rays down that very same road on which Jesus had often walked in animated conversations with his disciples and friends,…that same road he had recently ridden on the back of a donkey. It spills across the Kidron Valley and all the monuments to the dead who for hundred of years have chosen this as the favored place of burial in anticipation of Messiah's coming. It lights the great stone walls of the Holy City and announces the arrival of a brand new day!
The early morning hours are filled with the sounds of village life, the rooster crowing, the shutters opening, the animals looking for their food, the household chatter that accompanies life lived in close proximity with one's neighbors,…the business of normalcy…the way life is supposed to be.
But for those whose night was restless and sleep deprived: whose bodies were racked with pain, or who held a fevered child, or tossed and turned with minds filled with worries they could not control, or sat beside the bed of a dying loved one as the last breath was drawn…dawn signals a kind of unreality; an end of one block of time…and the unwelcome arrival of yet another.
How can everyone go on as if nothing has happened? How can the world seem so oblivious to the anguish that is so very real to me? How can they laugh,--or chase their child across the yard,--or sing as they go about those routine first hour chores? How can my neighbor shout out a friendly greeting to the person on the road, heard behind the closed door of my house of despair? How can they be so alive…when I feel so empty and depleted?
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Part of our calling and privilege as clergy members of all faith traditions is the ministry to the dying and their families. Over the years I'm sure that each one of us have noticed that family members listen very closely to the final words spoken by their loved ones. I know that several times as I have entered the room where the dying person was, I've found family members and friends quietly hovering close to the bedside, holding the hand and straining their ears to hear…so as not to miss any of those final parting thoughts. The most frequently heard lament is "I only stepped out of the room for a minute…and I missed his/her going."
If you've ever had a parent or sibling die then you know what I mean. In fact, I would guess that the more you loved the person you were losing the more you've memorized their final words…because with the knowledge that we will no longer hear them speak,…we strive to catch every priceless syllable.
We suddenly become conscious of how much precious time we wasted, not really listening,--not really seeing,--not really sharing ourselves the way we could have…We wonder will we remember,---the way they looked, or laughed, or felt as accurately as we should or could…it's suddenly all seems so final!
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Sometimes there are no "final words," because the disease or the medication connected with the relief of pain has closed the doors of communication so much earlier than anticipated. At other times it is even more ironic and disappointing when the last words seem so shallow and senseless. I was not surprised to read that the final words of P. T. Barnum, that great circus showman who worked all his life to make money, were: "What were today's receipts?"
Ideally final words should be imbued with a special depth of wisdom, after all one would hope that people would not engage in idle prattle when they know they are about to breathe their last. We should all have great insight as we die---like that which was shown by Alexander the Great-who conquered and transformed the known world, and who is recorded to have said in his final words, "When I die, thrust my hands through my death shroud so the world may see that my hands are empty."
But, you know, of all the final words that have ever been spoken, none are more precious---none are more revealing---none are filled with more simple eloquence, meaning and wisdom, than are those crucial last words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In a very real sense these particular seven last words are windows that enable us to look into eternity and see the very heart of the Savior as well as the very heart of God.
In Jesus' time of great suffering and shame, His thoughts still began with and centered on compassion, as He asked His Father, the Creator of the universe, to forgive the indifference and ignorance of those who brought about the tremendous cruelty being inflicted upon Him in those very moments. These were not words directed merely to those who could do nothing to stop his pain because of their helplessness,---nor to the mercenaries who were paid to conduct his execution under threat to their own lives and well being,---nor just to those who through lack of knowledge or misguided understanding demanded his death.
These words were also directed to those who with fire in their eyes and blood lust in their hearts actually looked forward to, and enjoyed the spectacle of his agony. For compassion that can be limited merely to those who have gained our admiration and approval is not compassion at all.
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
No one there at that moment could have grasped the full implications of what was taking place before their very eyes! No one who hated him or who loved him could have truly anticipated that God was about to do a great thing that had never been seen before.
So many times in our own spiritual journeys we are confronted with the same challenge. Life can seem so frustrating and meaningless,---God can seem so far away and indifferent,---all the forces of evil and darkness can appear to be in complete control.
We too can be tempted to think that all is lost and we are abandoned,---or that unless we take a firm stand, hold the right position, know the proper prayer and the right faith stance---we shall be lost to God's compassion and love.
We can even be tempted to feel overly confident, even smug about Easter because we know the ending of the story…and because we have come to the cross so many times in our lives--- we are most in danger of missing the true significance of this tremendous outpouring of mercy and forgiveness.
The Church is the re-membered body of Christ, but it is not without it's human failings. We may act in His name, and we may be privileged to serve His Kingdom, but we will often miss those marvelous, new things that God is preparing even today in our midst…some because we simply cannot see,---others because we choose not to see,---and some because seeing would bring about the end of truth as we want it to be. Not God's TRUTH, but our own.
And so we too need to hear those first words from the cross in all their power as they are directed to us:
"Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do."