"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

As we begin Lent we'll be taking a look at the seven statements Jesus made on the cross before completing His glorious promise and giving up His soul, dying in place of us so we didn't have to.

Luke 23:32-34
₃₂ Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ₃₃ When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left. ₃₄ Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Have you ever been in a situation where someone has said something like that? Perhaps when you were a kid and you were playing with Legos or blocks and your toddler cousin comes along and destroys your new creation. "Mom!" You cry out, to which she replies, "he's only a baby, he didn't know what he was doing."

It seems so unfair. The block creation is ruined, nothing will repair it but for us to start over again. Certainly had our cousin been our age he would have gotten in trouble. So are we toddlers with no grasp on what we are doing? Were the people of Jerusalem unaware that the things they had done to put Him on that cross were wrong?

Jesus, beaten, whipped and now pierced and hanging among common criminals, looked at His oppressors. The people who gave false testimony, those in charge of making sure He was put to death, those who brought the charges in the first place and perhaps even one who loved Him dearly, but denied knowing Him when things were at their worst. Jesus had every right to be angry. The people mentioned above who were there tormenting Him, the people in the past all the way back to Adam and Eve and the people from the future including us and some who have yet to be born; everyone put Jesus on that cross. And Jesus had every last one of them and us on His mind.

Jesus also had His mission on His mind so it's no surprise that even through the anguish that is unimaginable to many of us, He looked at the crowd, and said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Sin has a way of clouding our judgement, doesn't it? I have a few pet sins, sometimes my conscience is screaming at me to stop and I say, "Just a minute," and when that minute has passed I feel a sense of disgust, remorse, and maybe even sadness. I imagine if Jesus were to come to me directly after one of my many sins, those pet sins especially, look to Heaven and say, "Father, forgive him, for he didn't know what he was doing," I would have to say, "Jesus, thank you, but I threw your law to the side, I did it on purpose, my conscience spoke up and I ignored it."

But here's the thing, I know there is a God who is a righteous judge, who tells me to live perfectly. I know I have a forgiveness of sins through the Son, Jesus, and while there is nothing I can do, I can follow His law and do Christian good out of love for that forgiveness. I know there is a Holy Spirit who brings me to this faith and allows me to work all things good for God. I know that Satan is there prodding and poking me to disobey God's commandments and that he is the enemy. I know that I have an eternal home in Heaven, given to me by Jesus' sacrifice and that there will be no more sin and suffering.

If I know all of those things, then why did I sin, especially a sin that repeats itself over and over, no matter how many promises or New Year's resolutions I make? If I wish to follow God's Law perfectly because of everything stated above then the answer is clear. I lost sight of God. I put my focus on worldly things.

Have you ever made one of those strange, silly mistakes that when looked at from the outside makes no sense? Perhaps you're watching television and decide you're hungry so you go into the kitchen, remote in hand, to make a sandwich. You finish making the sandwich and settle back down on the couch where you go to reach for the remote, but it's gone. You retrace your steps until you find you have placed the remote in the refrigerator. No, you would never put a remote in the fridge on purpose, but there it is. You weren't thinking, you set your sights on making your sandwich and lost track of the remote.

Sins a lot like that. We lose sight of our Heavenly promise. That same crowd that was there screaming for Jesus to be crucified was the same crowd who just at the beginning of that week were celebrating the promised savior's arrival at Jerusalem. Jesus looked out at these people, the same who celebrated Him and knew that through them and future generations they would celebrate His triumph two days from now. They didn't know what they were doing, they were too easily distracted. Much like our promise through Jesus and His Word, they had the savior right in front of them and they chose sin instead.

That's why we are so blessed as we reflect upon Jesus march to the cross this Lenten season that we can look at the outcome and know our sins are forgiven and that never for a minute had your Savior lost sight of His mission and love for you.