Thoughts From Luke - Day 100

                                                     Luke 23:31-38

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³ When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, 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.
³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷ and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
³⁸ There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.


         Today we are doing a Sunday School class on Jehovah Witnesses. To be honest, when I see them coming to my door I relate to the Far Side cartoon where the possum family says, "Here come Jehovah Witnesses. Quick, play dead." To be fair, my main problem is my own that I have in mind what my daily schedule looks like and I don't have 45 minutes to carve out. If I knew I could make some headway and talk them out of this cult and into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, I would gladly do it but they usually have someone with them, well schooled in every argument that is as set in their ways as I am in mine and there are no positive results, at least that I can tell. And then there is the verse...

 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2 Tim. 2:24-26

  ... which I tend to violate because I see them as adversaries and tools of Satan taking people to eternal damnation, rather than lost people who Jesus loves and died for. Is it possible He loves them as much as me? The last conversation I had with them ended in "If I'm wrong then I will just cease to exist. If you are wrong you will spend eternity in Hell. I hope you are certain about what you believe." Let's look at the above verse - not exactly kind or gentle was my approach.

      In this passage we see the crucifixion (on a cross not a stake) unfolding and despite everything that these people, who are tools of Satan, are doing and have done to Him, Jesus looks on them with love and compassion and intercedes to the Father for them. He says, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Can we see lost people like that? Can we see ISIS like that? Can we see the LGBT activists like that? There is always hope for them and their souls until they take their last breath. These are simply people who Satan has in their grasps and instead of feeling anger towards them, I should shed tears for them like Jesus did when He looked on Jerusalem, the city where all the atrocities against Him would occur.

     Lord help me see past the agenda and love the people that you created and died for knowing that You want to spend eternity in Heaven with them too. Amen