J. Michael Thurman

“Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do…”

Has there ever been a more beautiful prayer uttered by anyone? Of the many prayers uttered everyday… the Our Father (Lord’s Prayer), the Serenity Prayer, the Prayer of Jabez, and the many other prayers found in prayer and service books…can anything be more beautiful than our Lord and Savior crying out from the cross, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do…”?

Perhaps you have seen the motion picture The Passion of the Christ. I saw it during Lent 2004 with a group from church on a Sunday afternoon. I have to admit that it was a difficult movie to watch. The key for me was why it was difficult. I’ve seen scary movies. I’ve seen graphic movies. I’ve seen bad movies. Yet, this one was difficult for a different reason…I could see the whip hitting “Jesus’” back. I could see the horror portrayed in the faces of the women who had the strength and courage to stay with Jesus during that day’s journey. I could almost feel the gravity of that day.

That sense of “you are there” is why several of my companions had to close their eyes. They couldn’t watch the horror played out in front of them. Even to this day…four years later…there are one or two persons from that group who admit that they still can’t watch those scenes of the Anointed One’s journey to the Cross. One even admitted to tuning out many of my sermons during Lent. For some reason, she can’t contemplate the overwhelmingly horrifying torture her Savior endured for her as portrayed by that particular movie…

The interesting thing about that particular portrayal is that it is tame when compared to what really happened. Yes, the reality of that day is much harsher than portrayed on film. Jesus really went through much worse. Then…count the new experience of being separated from the Father.

We spend a lot of time talking about how the Word was “made flesh and tempted in all points as we are,” but consider this: for a being with an eternal outlook, the physical was as mild as the falling of an eyelash compared to the real horror of being separated from the Father for the first time in eternity.

The Orthodox Church teaches that heaven for those who love God is an eternity lived in his loving presence. For those who love God, then, hell would be separation from God. Jesus entered that place of separation for us…

…and he still prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

From my own life experience I know that forgiving is hard. “…Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…” is a prayer of self-condemnation except for the working of the Holy Spirit within us…that is, by the Grace of God. Yet, with nails in his wrists and feet… With the flesh stripped from his body… With the weight of his body hanging on his aching and bleeding arms… Jesus still prayed, “Father, forgive them…”

If Jesus is our Lord…your Lord and my Lord… If Jesus the Anointed One is our teacher…your teacher and my teacher… If Jesus is our Savior…your Savior and my Savior… How can we do other than imitate him?

Forgive us our sins, O Lord, as we follow your example and forgive others. Amen.

Blessings,