There’s a scene in The Lion King I really like when the old wise monkey hits Simba in the head with his cane. Simba demands, “Hey, why’d you do that?” The monkey replies, “It doesn’t matter, it’s in the past.” There’s a lot of wisdom in that!
Note: Over the next week or so, I’ll be blogging through these seven great sayings, so subscribe or check back often.
The religious leaders had set Jesus up, paid a betrayer, and established false testimony against Jesus because of their intense hatred for him. They followed close to Jesus on his way to be crucified. The Roman soldiers had beaten and mocked Him and gambled over His clothing. One of the twelve had sold Jesus out, one denied knowing Him, and most of the rest were not to be seen – they had forsaken Him and fled. His creation had rejected Him. His nation and His own family had done so as well.
What would you say? You’re on the cross and given only a few breaths to speak to them all in your final moments. Would you argue your case one more time? Would you curse them? Jesus prayed for their forgiveness.
If there’s a command in the Bible that’s difficult to keep, it’s the repeated command to forgive others. It’s really tough. As you look at the model prayer of Jesus, He encourages us to express our forgiveness to others in light of the fact that we’ve been forgiven of so much.
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Based on 2 Timothy 4:6-8
ONE GREAT TRUTH: It is possible to live life without regrets, but only as we understand God’s unfolding plan of redemption in our lives.
I'm a Christian, a Pastor to Bethel Baptist Church in Bentonville, Arkansas, a husband to Angie, a Dad to Ella, and I also enjoy graphic and web design. I'm a huge fan of Chick-fil-A and have a little dog named Beau!
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