"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do."--Luke, xxiii. 34.
Many a death-struggle has been made to save a friend. A dying Saviour
gathers up His expiring breath to plead for His foes! At the climax of
His own woe, and of human ingratitude--man-forsaken, and
God-deserted--His faltering voice mingles with the shout of His
murderers,--"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!" Had
the faithless Peter been there, could he have wondered at the reply to a
former question,--"Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and
I forgive him,--till seven times?" Jesus said unto him, "I say not unto
thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven." (Matt. xviii.
21.)
Superiority to insult and ignominy, with some, proceeds from a callous
and indifferent temperament,--a cold, phlegmatic, stoical insensibility,
alike to kindness or unkindness. It was not so with Jesus. The tender
sensibilities of His holy nature rendered Him keenly sensible to
ingratitude and injury, whether this was manifested in the malice of
undisguised enmity, or the treachery of trusted friendship. Perhaps to a
noble nature the latter of these is the more deeply wounding. Many are
inclined to forgive an open and unmasked antagonist, who are not so
willing to forget or forgive heartless faithfulness, or unrequited love.
But see, too, in this respect, the conduct of the blessed Redeemer! Mark
how He deals with His own disciples who had basely forsaken him and
fled, and that, too, in the hour He most needed their sympathy. No
sooner does He rise from the dead than He hastens to disarm their fears
and to assure them of an unaltered and unalterable affection. "Go tell
_my brethren_," is the first message He sends; "_Peace be unto you_," is
the salutation at the first meeting; "_Children!_" is the word with
which He first greets them on the shores of Tiberias. Even Joseph, (the
Old Testament type and pattern of generous forgiveness,) when he makes
himself known to his brethren, recalls the bitter thought, "Whom ye sold
into Egypt." The true Joseph, when _He_ reveals Himself to His
disciples, buries in oblivion the memory of by-gone faithlessness. He
_meets_ them with a benediction. He _leaves_ them at His ascension with
the same--"He lifted up His hands and blessed them!"
Reader! follow in all this the spirit of your Lord and Master. In rising
from the study of His holy example, seek to feel that with you there
shall be no such name, no such word, as _enemy_! Harbor no resentful
thought, indulge in no bitter recrimination. Surrender yourself to no
sullen fretfulness. Let "the law of kindness" be in your heart. Put the
best construction on the failings of others Make no injurious comments
on their frailties; no uncharitable insinuations. "Consider thyself,
lest thou also be tempted." When disposed at any time to cherish an
unforgiving spirit towards a brother, think, if thy God had retained His
anger for ever, where wouldst thou have been? If _He_, the Infinite One,
who might have spurned thee for ever from His presence, hath had
patience with thee, and forgiven thee _all_, wilt _thou_, on account of
some petty grievance which thy calmer moments would pronounce unworthy
of a thought, indulge in the look of cold estrangement, the unrelenting
word, or unforgiving deed? "If any man have a quarrel against any, even
as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
"ARM YOURSELVES LIKEWISE WITH THE SAME MIND."
Fifth Day.