For, Not Because Of

Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. –Luke 23:34 NIV

As children, we might fall off our bikes, scrape our knees, and end up bleeding. Eventually, the wounds heal, and the knees are as good as new. Scars may remain to remind us of the incidents, but we hardly ever give them a thought. Yet, a wound of the heart is different. When treated unjustly, we can be left with a painful scar that lasts a lifetime. How can we overcome such hurts? How did Jesus handle them? If anyone had a reason to be hurt, it was Jesus. Isaiah 53 tells us that He was despised, rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. He was held in low esteem. He was pierced for our sins and crushed for our iniquities. But not once will you ever find Him feeling sorry for Himself. Why? Jesus was grieved FOR His oppressors, not because of them. He was more concerned about the consequences of their hardened hearts than He was about the consequences for Himself resulting from their hurtful actions. He knew where they were headed, and He hurt for them, not Himself. We, too, can have compassion and forgive like Jesus. We need to grieve for the lost, not because of them.