The religious leaders of His day slandered Him, mocked Him, beat Him, blasphemed Him, turned Him over to be tortured and killed. "Turned Him over" because the law wouldn't allow them to kill Him. You know they would have loved to have been the ones driving in the nails.
The Romans sentenced Him to death knowing He was innocent--"I find no fault in this man. Tortured Him, mocked Him, crucified Him, and casually gambled for His clothes.
The two thieves mocked Him, belittled Him, cursed Him--the guilty shaming the guiltless.
The multitude went from praising Him--"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord" to--within a week--shouting "Crucify Him! Crucify Him! We have no king but Caesar." Caesar whom they all despised and hated. They would have danced for joy if they could escape the rule of Rome and Caesar. Yet, they denied Him, shamed Him, mocked Him, ridiculed Him, shouted for His execution.
His response--to love more deeply: "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing."
The result: Two of the religious hierarchy with nothing to gain and everything to lose took down His body, prepared Him for burial, placed His body in one of their own tombs. Went from fearful followers to open lovers. And after the Resurrection, many of the priests believed in Him.
One of the two thieves: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom." His answer: "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." And he was.
A callused Roman soldier at the foot of the cross: "Surely, this man was the son of God."
The multitude: On Pentecost as Peter preached and told them what they had actually done, and they understood their actions for what they were, they cried out for forgiveness. And--3000 in one day received it. 3000. And then--the church spread through Jerusalem. And the world. And it hasn't stopped spreading yet.
Hurt, despised, slandered, mocked by others--respond by loving them more deeply; by pleading with God for them--that they will find the forgiveness He died to provide for them. And some of them will--if we will just fall on our knees, cast off our self-pity, and cry out to the God of a deeper love to seek them out and bring them to Him.
Love more deeply. Always love more deeply.
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