Father, Forgive Them

(Found here)

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

“The first of the Lord’s words contains his whole life’s purpose…

…He utters a request. What is manifested in this request is not an opinion, but a perfect knowledge of men, gleaned in thirty-three years of earthly existence. He has lived among them, shared their everyday round; he knows them exactly as they are. But throughout this whole period, he has had the opportunity of pondering over them in the love he bears toward them, of appraising their value within this love. He knows what they are…

They are creatures always in need of help and encouragement; without God’s compassion, they would perish; they are utterly dependent on the mercy of God. They are not even strong enough to cry out for his mercy themselves; they are not even aware of the need for it. They forget God. They forget the Son living among them. Only they do not forget themselves. But the idea of themselves they carry around with them is distorted by sin. The true picture of themselves is hidden from them. And in this condition they go about their business, but there is no longer a harmonious relation between their knowledge and their activity; somehow they seem to have neither will nor knowledge nor responsibility. They do things, in the Son’s presence and against him, without thinking of the consequences, simply for the sake of it. And he knows that they cannot be held fully responsible, and the conclusion he draws is this: he will bear the responsibility himself; and bear it, not by leaving them to themselves, but rather by handing them over to God, to be forgiven by him. His first prayer to his Father from the Cross is for this forgiveness.

This is the great ‘Confession’ made by the Son on behalf of all mankind…”

~Adrienne von Speyr