“Father, Forgive Them”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Today we begin. We begin this season of Lent as we gather here on Ash Wednesday. We receive the sign of the cross on our foreheads reminding us for the reason of Jesus. Reminding us that we are dust and to dust we shall one return. Throughout this journey, each week we will focus on a word of Jesus from the cross. As He is hanging there for you and the world, Jesus has 7 recorded statements. Each one is intentional. Each one is purposeful. Each word reveals something. Think about it, Jesus was there hanging from the cross in pain and suffering. It’s not like He was able to just have a casual conversation. Each word reveals something important. We are going to take a look at these words together.

Last week, I was at a ministry conference. It was a joy to hear different ideas. To hear encouraging stories from friends in the ministry or to hear from others across the country who have many years of experience. It is a joy to be fed. But like any other conference there are tables or booths between the sessions that are trying to promote different ministries or organizations. And like most conferences. They offer you free stuff. As you are walking past their table - they eye you up from a distance. They call out to get your attention. And as you are standing near their table they give you all their free stuff. You are nice. You are kind. You take their pens and their sticky note pads. You take their stickers and their plastic cell phone stands. You take their free t-shirts that they offer. Your face lights up with a smile, but your mind is thinking something different. You are thinking do I really need another cheap pen? You are thinking do I really need this paper filled with stickers that I will never use? You are thinking - I’m never going to wear this t-shirt - when I get home this is going in the “donate” pile. But to be nice - you stuff that free object in your bag, you walk away, and move on to other conversations, other experiences, other parts of life.

As I said earlier today is Ash Wednesday. Gather here at the beginning of this Lenten season not like people at the receiving something free at a booth. We are here with dusty crosses on our foreheads to receive something greater than an ugly free t-shirt that we will never been seen wearing. Many of us a gathered here with full and complete recognition of our need for the forgiveness of sins - the complete and whole forgiveness of sins that comes from Jesus on the cross. We sit here in the pew open handed ready to receive this great blessing from Jesus! This is a reflective day and season. And we know that because of the cross shape on your heads our sins don’t tell the full story our lives. Our text picks up today in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is there on the cross. He has been betrayed but His closest friends and followers. He is hung in the middle of two criminals. And in His pain and suffering - He speaks not for Himself, not to take the pain away, but He speaks up for you. He cries out to the Father in Heaven - a word of forgiveness. He cries out, “Father, Forgive Them!” As believers and people of God today. We identify ourselves with the “them”. We place ourselves in the group that Jesus is talking about. We look to Jesus to receive this gift that Christ freely gives on the cross: Forgiveness.

This is great that we recognize ourselves as part of the them. But the next question, we have to think through, do we think of everyone as being a part of that with us? We love to divide ourselves in groups. And all sorts of things can be a dividing point. We tend to view others as you are either are apart of me or not. You are either with me or not. Do you cry, “Rock Hawk JawHawk or do you bleed purple, while you scream, “Go WildCats”? Do you agree with me and my favorite news station about the world and our country is supposed to work? Or maybe something as simple as do you find yourself in the same camp as me - when it comes to your favorite BBQ. Are you a Jackstack or Q39 fan? Instead of finding things in common, many times we see identify our differences. And if we are honest with ourselves, these differences tend to separate. We see the differences we have with one another as something creates different camps. Us or Them. We or They. Or if you are into West Side Story - Jet or Shark. We tend to create lines of division that we never cross.

Jesus doesn’t cry out on the cross. Father, only forgive the people in my tiny little group.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Father only forgive my really close followers who are bold enough to stand near the cross.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Father, just forgive the people gathered in the Upper Room”. He cries from the cross, “Father, Forgive Them!” Father, Forgive them! Who is the “them” Jesus is talking about? Of course it includes you, but it also includes, those Roman soldiers who led Him to the cross. It includes Pilate and the chief priests and the scribes who led Jesus through the Kangaroo trial. It includes the disciples, including Judas who betrayed Jesus who led the group to arrest Jesus in the garden. They are true for me. They are true for you. This forgiveness is available for all people! Who the people in the world - that you would label as “them”? Who are the people that you see outside of your group? Who are those people in that different group that you would never choose to interact with? Those RockChalk fans, the people who like the other news station, the JackStack BBQ supporters. Jesus died not only for you. He died for them.

This forgiveness isn’t shared with a select group, but it is for all people. The next question we have to ask is: if everyone has it, does that mean it is less valuable? You find yourself at a conference booth - the person behind the desk tells about this program and they say here is this free pen. Or they say before you leave - here take this free t-shirt. After receiving this “gift” you look around and see everyone else, has it. Everyone else must have heard the same speech. You think - you know - this salesman must really have a lot of these special notebooks. We tend to think if everyone receives something - it must not mean a whole lot. But the forgiveness of Jesus just a throw away gift. He isn’t just something to throw at the bottom of your backpack. This gift cost something. It cost Jesus everything. He hung on the cross and cried out with His dying voice, “Father forgive them.” This gift is free for you, but it cost Jesus everything! The price of your sin has been paid by Jesus!

What if we lived like those people in our world have been forgiven by Jesus? How would looking people as forgiven and loved people of Jesus change the way we interact with others? That one person who is open and honest about their opinions - they are forgiven just like you! The person who loves to point out and tell you how you are wrong - they are forgiven. The one person who has hurt you in that unpredictable way - they are forgiven. And they are forgiven, not because of your own power. They are forgiven not through your strength to share this news with them. They are forgiven not because enough time has past. They are forgiven through the power of Jesus. And as people who have been forgiven we are called forward to share this forgiveness with others. Jesus is our source of forgiveness. He is the reason we can declare that forgiveness with others!

Words are important. Jesus cries out - “Father forgive them!” And because of Christ - you are forgiven! The crosses you have on your foreheads will eventually be washed off. The sin that once held power of you has been crushed. But the words of Jesus last forever. They are true for you! They are true for those others out there! Christ gave it all, You are forgiven!