Have you ever struggled to forgive someone? If so, I know how you feel. A few years back, I was treated unfairly by a college professor. For the longest time, I just couldn’t shake what happened to me or the resentment I had toward him. Even though I knew I should let it go, I couldn’t. And, even when I moved closer toward forgiveness, I remember thinking, “I’ll forgive him, but I’ll never forget what happened.”
As I thought about how difficult it is to forgive others, it made Jesus’ action in Luke 23:34 even more impressive. I had no idea what it meant to be treated unfairly until I read the events leading up to this verse. Before this statement, people had spit on Him, lied on Him, and even beat Him. To make matters worse, He hadn’t done anything to deserve such harsh treatment. But, in spite of the way He had been treated, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for the don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NLT).
Can you imagine how wonderful this world would be if we all had an attitude like Jesus? Awesome, right? So, let’s try. Forgive, often, and sincerely. And, the good news is, the more we forgive, the more we’re forgiven (see Matthew 6:12).