Goodness

When Jesus hung on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34.

Jesus was well known in the light, and He was well aware of His own good standing. He knew why He had come and where He was going. He was an overcomer where He hung, a King on the way to His crown. Those who were standing on the ground thought that He was in a wretched state, and humanly speaking He was. Some mocked Him; others felt sorry for Him. But Jesus saw it in a different light: He saw that they were in darkness and did not know what they were doing, and He had compassion on them. In spite of His sufferings, He was the one who was giving; He shared from His good treasure. He did not reproach them for their violent actions against Him; He forgave them and prayed to the Father to forgive them. He justified their action, by saying that they did not know what they were doing, giving the Father especially good reason to forgive them.

We are called to have the same mind that Stephen had when he was stoned by the people. He fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” Acts 7:60. We must put our own interests aside and not veer from our course because we have to suffer, but always have the other’s best in mind.

This is how Stephen spoke to the people just before he was stoned: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” Acts 7:51. He spoke harshly to them in order to open their eyes and ears, because they were so hard. His heart was burning for the good, and when they answered by stoning him to death, he cried out to God to forgive them. He had become one with God’s goodness, and he loved people with God’s love. Being in darkness, the people answered with hatred, murdering him, because they did not know what they were doing.

We could mention many in the same way who have partaken of Christ’s love and goodness, and now it is our turn to have the same attitude and obtain the same good results. By God’s grace we have received light and have become children of light. Let us walk in the light so the light can shine from us and others can be won by it. For it is one thing to speak about the light, but to walk in the light as He is in the light is a more powerful testimony than any speech.

Those who do not comprehend our message and do not receive the Word and rise up against us do it because they are in darkness, for the one who is in darkness does not know what he is doing.

Let our hearts’ gratitude compel us to enter more deeply into Christ’s love and goodness.