Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing

 

Palm Sunday seems like a strange day to begin looking at the seven words from the cross.  Such a celebratory affair – mile upon mile of laid out cloaks – songs being sung at the top of voices.  Laughter, chatting, rejoicing…  a worship service like no other.  ‘Hosanna, Hosanna’ – we could join in with our school assemblies still fresh in our minds!  But…  it is important to remember that in the middle of this worship service there is one man in tears.. the man who was on the receiving end of the praise and worship.  Jesus, looking at Jerusalem, listening to the songs, taking in the scene – and – Jesus wept.  

Why?  Well firstly the obvious… Jesus knew the shouts of ‘Hosanna’ would turn to cries of ‘crucify him’.  Jesus knew the disciple he had named the rock was going to deny him.  He knew the treasurer of his mission was going to betray him. And always the prophet he could see this beautiful city ahead of him destroyed 40 years later at the hands of Emperor Titus and his roman legions. 

He also weeps for his earthly ministry is coming to an end.   He has healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, welcomed the outcast, cleansed the lepers, fed the hungry and he had forgiven sins… yet… the fruit of this was unbelief and rejection.  John 1:11 ‘He came to his own, and his own did not receive him’.  Broken hearted he wept.  As now was the time for the great crescendo – to embody the message of love and hope in the most awful of ways.  ‘Lord lift this cup from me…’ but through strangled breaths and desperation ‘Not my will but yours be done’. 

So, our scene changes from the worship service on the road to the killing of the hill.  The gospel does not describe the horrific happenings of crucifixion – it did not have too – the first audience were aware of the inhumane torture device.  I took a glimpse at Mel Gibson’s passion of the Christ to begin this week with you all – and I couldn’t watch.  Nails through hands and feet, bones torn, skin hanging off through the cat O nine tails, crown of thorns pressed into the skull, blood, well everywhere…  The horrendous site of a man being tortured to death – but even worse – the very embodiment of love – hanging on a cross.   And what would be his first words?  Attack?  One last defence?  No… forgiveness…  ‘Father forgive them’. 

It is now that most preachers would give a wonderful illustration of forgiveness – one from the world – or perhaps one from their own lives.  I would tell you about how I beat up my Dads car, only to receive, when with tears in my eyes and repentance from my mouth, forgiveness…  But as great as that was – it does not come close to Jesus.   Who not only forgives from the most disgraceful of situations – agonising over the torture and punishment undeserved but it comes from not one sign of remorse.   The crowd are still baying for blood – still laughing and gambling for his clothes… not one person is on their knees begging for forgiveness – yet – FATHER FORGIVE THEM.   Before we even go to God with our list of things we need to repent for – Jesus is saying – ‘Father forgive’.   Jesus first forgives and when we accept that – well then is the time to have the conversation!

But there is more… ‘Father forgive, for they do not know what they are doing’.  Most of our malice… our sin is exercised without aforethought.  Roman soldiers, Jewish Sanhedrin, raving mob – how did you decide to murder God’s son?  ‘Standing up for law and order’!  ‘We were supporting good biblical values’!  ‘We were obeying orders’!  ‘We were not in charge it was the government’!  They did not know what they are doing.   And… we do not know what we are doing…. Yet… father forgive.

Matthew 25:31-46 is one of the bibles more difficult reads!   It is a parable of the great judgment that it is to come.   At the end, the Son of man shall ascend the throne and judge all the peoples.  On his left the goats who, have not done good to the least of these, having not recognised the incognito Christ among the poor, imprisoned and oppressed are punished.   On the judges right – the sheep – those who have reached out to the least of these – are eternally awarded.  Isn’t it good to know the questions on the final exam in advance!  There will be judgment at the end, but on what basis? ‘I was in jail and you visited me’!

But here is the shock of the parable – the sheep and the goats have something in common – they say exactly the same words ‘Lord when did we see you’?  The sheep and the goats talk the same!

You expect the goats to be stupid – but the sheep are as dumb as the goats – Lord when did we see you.

The sheep knew enough to visit the prisoner, offer food and drink, clothes…  but they do not see Jesus any clearer than the goats…  Lord when did we see you?

When it comes to seeing Jesus – you can’t tell a sheep from a goat!

In judgment both can only say ‘when did I see you Lord?’

We are all amateurs in regard to Jesus.

We don’t know what we are doing.

Yet… father forgive…

How curious of Jesus to unite ignorance and forgiveness. Usually, we think of ignorance as the enemy of forgiveness – ‘forgiveness I fine as long as the wrongdoer admits they were wrong’ – first – repentance then forgiveness.   Yet here from the cross – pre-emptive forgiveness – we begin with forgiveness.

Father forgive must always be the first word between us and god, because of our sin and because of gods eternal quest to have us. 

Forgiveness is what it costs God to be with us, his people.

On the cross – Jesus is doing what he did throughout his ministry – and the father in the power of the Holy Spirit – has done throughout the history of the world – only intensifying it – focusing it – through the cross. 

We are witnessing a conversation within the life of the trinity – father forgive – for they do not know what they are doing.

The first words are not just forgiveness – they are pre-emptive forgiveness.   Every wrongdoing… every sin… forgiven.   Every sin we do not know we have committed – forgiven…  what’s our response?  To fall into the loving arms of God – with repentance and to go on a journey where we learn that we do not know what we are doing – fully trusting in our God – who invites us to follow – and invites us to join in the transformation of the world – and who can make something beautiful with our lives.

Father forgive, for they do not know what they are doing.