"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing". These are the words pleading from Jesus' lips once his hands and feet have been nailed to the Cross in that place called "The Skull". His concern is not for himself, but for those who are killing him. "Please, God. They don't know what they're doing". Who are they? Roman soldiers for sure. Luke tells us that some religious officials are there "scoffing" at him. But there are others as well. The crowds. Unlike the soldiers who are gambling for his clothing, as ragged as they are, or the religious officials who are tempting God to save him, "if he is the Messiah, the chosen one of God", the people are standing at the foot of the cross in stunned silence. People so caught between their love of God and their fear of Rome that they don't know what to do. His friends. Where are his friends? Luke tells us they are all standing at a distance watching. Just watching. Standing far enough away from their teacher to be safe, who is after all, beyond help.
So who is responsible for Jesus' death? Judas? The religious officials? Pilate? Herod? The Roman Soldiers? His disciples? In the original Greek language, Luke puts their actions in the passive voice. The Divine passive voice. Meaning: God is the prime actor in the story. In other words, God's plan is in action. Not theirs. Not ours.
Tragically the Christian Church has not spent much time pondering these questions. From the very beginning, the answer has been easy: The Jews. The Jews betrayed, condemned and handed him over to be killed. These are the people in need of God's forgiveness, or so at least the legend goes. But because of this legend, the Jewish people have had their history marred by Good Friday. Today, Good Friday, has long been a frightening day for many of the Jewish faith and for good reason. If you read Jewish history, the litany of violence is astounding.
1096 - The First Crusade is launched with the slaughter of Jews in the Rhineland
1190 - Jews are massacred in England
1233 - In Inquisition offers Jews a choice: Become Christian or die
1290 - Jews are expelled from England
1348 - Jews are burned in Switzerland for "causing" the Black Death
1394 - Jews are expelled from France
1492 - Jews are expelled from Spain
1648 - Jewish ghetto is created in Venice
1881 - Attacks on Jews become an institution in Russia
1938 - Krystallnacht is launched in Nazi Germany
1939-1945 - 6 million Jews die in Europe, including 1.5 million children
Any way you do the math, Jesus' death has been avenged millions of times over by Christians who have twisted the gospel of loving your enemies and doing good to those who persecute you into a 2000 year long nightmare of racism and revenge. Ironically many of those on the losing end of Christian persecution have turned to the Bible: Psalm 22 in particular: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
Tragically, we have crucified Jesus over and over again, or at least stood far away from his Cross at a safe distance. "Father forgive them". Who was Jesus pleading for? Us. But he has given us the benefit of the doubt by assuming that we have no idea what we are doing.
How often have we killed Jesus in our attempts to defend him? Just look at history for that answer. If God answered Jesus' prayer on the Cross, which we can assume he did, then that is the end of it. No more blaming, scapegoating or getting even. Jesus died to put an end to that. He volunteered to be the last victim, so that his followers would never make victims out of anyone again. He even gave us a prayer to pray if we should ever find our own hands nailed down: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing".
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Doug
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