Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Yesterday I included Luke 23:34: Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” The soldiers are casting lots for His clothes WHILE His is praying and AS He is dying as a result of their actions. They are oblivious, but Jesus is not. He knows what they are doing. He knows they are acting in ignorance. He asks His Father to forgive them.
Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
As I was typing Eph 4:32 this morning, it struck me that Jesus has prayed the same prayer for ME for all those times I acted out of ignorance—sometimes not realizing what I had done, sometimes knowing full well I was in the wrong, sometimes believing with all my heart I was acting in the right way. Jesus has said to His Father, my Father, “Father, forgive Beth, for she knows not what she is doing.” And my Father HAS forgiven me—in Christ, through Christ, and because of Christ.
Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this insight, which feels so revolutionary. Thank You for Jesus and for His intercessions on my behalf. Thank You for forgiving me for all those times I have and will act out of my own ignorance. Now that I understand Eph 4:32 in a way that I never have before, help me to live Eph 4:32 in a way that I’ve never been able to before. Help me to be kind and compassionate to others, praying to my Father on their behalf, letting go of any anger and bitterness caused by their ignorance, just like Jesus with the soldiers at His death. Help me to love as You love and to forgive as You forgive. Draw me closer. Amen.
Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Have a blessed day.