Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34
Have you ever come across someone who just wasn’t being very nice? The boys have dealt with that. This boy was really saying nasty and mean things. He was extremely hurtful to my youngest, attacking his character, while my oldest was standing there. Now, let me say that my youngest is a gentle soul and is very sympathetic to others’ pain. He also can display a bit of a temper…quickly. He’s working on harnessing and keeping that temper under control. The oldest believes he can irritate his brother, but nobody else better.
That sounded like it could be a recipe for disaster. They weren’t happy campers, and many around them were pretty mad too, which could’ve fueled the anger. They didn’t give into it though, they didn’t respond with like words, or deal with it physically! They were able to walk away.
This is someone they had to deal with on a regular basis. Unfortunately, hatred continued to spew from his mouth. They struggled with this, they looked to me for help, and they prayed for this person.
Now, I don’t believe in allowing someone to be bullied. Adults were already trying to handle the situation. It wasn’t the boys’ job to “get even” or even repeat the experiences to all their friends.
They tried to see what was behind all the hurt. They harnessed their anger into work for God. They continued to pray for him and to love him as God did. There was certainly hurt going on in this child’s life to act the way he did.
They reached out doing their best to treat him with respect and kindness after the cruel words. This was not them being weak, and it was not condoning this child’s actions. This was showing mighty strength in controlling anger and turning the situation over to the only One who knew how to handle it appropriately.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a wonderful ending to the story. He continued to give others grief and doesn’t seem to be part of that organization anymore. Jesus knew He couldn’t make everyone like Him, just as the boys had to come to that conclusion also.
That young man’s story is far from over though, and just maybe he’ll remember the kindness extended during that hard time in his life. He could turn everything around and do great things.
The character trait for today is Meekness-yielding my personal rights and expectations with a desire to serve (definition from characterfirst.com).
So many people see meek as weak. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus was in no way weak, and he never let anyone take advantage of Him. He just saw higher than those around him. He knew how to bring His power under control. He was able to keep serving while having many people come against Him.
Today, I challenge you to harness your words into great things for God. We must pity those who don’t know better. Be willing to say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Don’t allow bitterness to creep in from a wrong that you feel you need to deal with. Stay meek and allow God to make it up to you. It’s the way to keep your joy and show great strength in your character!
