Father Forgive Them…
Our youth study group spent a bit of time discussing the crucifixion of Christ on Sunday as an effort to discover the importance of these last words he spoke. Thankfully, crucifixion is not a practice widely used in the world and witnessed by masses of people. It is a horrific form of punishment. In crucifixion the Romans mastered the art of causing the most amount of pain humanly possible to endure while still living. This was done as a warning to those who witnessed the atrocity, “DO NOT DO WHAT THIS PERSON DID!”…and the implication is, “OR YOU WILL END UP LIKE THIS!”
After Jesus was beaten, whipped and mocked, spat upon and humiliated, he carried his instrument of death through the streets while crowds gathered around to watch the spectacle. Victims’ arms were spread wide across the crossbeam and nailed into place so that when the cross was standing, the victim would have difficulty breathing. The weight of the body would pull down causing excruciating pain, but also making it nearly impossible to draw a full breath. The point is to not only cause pain, but to also induce the need to draw a breath…and by doing so, the victim would have to use either the arms to pull themselves up far enough for an intake of breath or use their legs, which were also impaled, to push their body up. Either action would elicit tremendous pain, but because they were able to draw a breath, the pain was prolonged and the torture was more drawn out. (Incidentally, the word ‘excruciating’ is rooted in the word ‘crucifixion.’)
So, the four gospels record seven statements that Jesus spoke from the cross in the midst of all this agony. They do not all agree on what was said from the cross, but each of them report that he spoke during the act of dying. When every breath is fought for under unimaginable agony, any words spoken at all are extremely valuable. That is what Adam Hamilton contends in this year’s Lenten study, “Final Words from the Cross.” And so, each week we are studying all four gospels and the statements they record and what we can learn from Jesus’ last words for our lives, today.
Sunday’s words were, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing,” which is recorded in the book of Luke. As Jesus is dying a slow and agonizing death, his concern is for others. Who is the ‘them’ in this statement? ‘Them’ seems to be the Roman soldiers who were inflicting this pain on him. ‘Them’ is Herod and Pilate for ordering the crucifixion. ‘Them’ is the crowds who gathered around and shouted, “crucify him!” ‘Them’ is the disciples who abandoned Jesus at this terrible hour. ‘Them’ is the religious leaders who turned Jesus over to the authorities. ‘Them’ is Judas who betrayed Jesus. ‘Them’ is Peter who denied Jesus. ‘Them’ also spans time to become you and I and all the people of the world who have ever committed sin or whoever will commit sin. Jesus’ words, because of what he endured, becomes words for all of us…and for all people, for all time…throughout human history. His words stand for today, tomorrow and for all the tomorrows yet to come. Thanks be to God.
Blessings,
Tracy