For They Know Not What They Do

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Upon a cross, Jesus said these words as he looked out over his executioners

At those who mocked his existence

At those who condemned his teachings

There he hung dying at their hands, and yet there he pleaded for their forgiveness of their hands and their lands

Who does that?

Who prays for his enemy?

Who turns the other cheek?

Who dies that they may live?

He must be crazy.

Or… maybe he was the one that knew the truth.

The one that truly knew love.

The one that understood the cost of love.

The one that knew something that his accusers didn’t.

That the very thing they thought was right was really wrong

That the very thing that they thought would destroy a movement started one instead

And as he sits enthroned in heaven, I wonder…

How many times he continues to pray that prayer to God about us…

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

In an age where opinions and words run rampant

Where political correctness is valued over moral rightness

Where which side you’re on is more important than who you are following

Where a statement can be your demise or a picture can ruin a life

What have we become?

Where the individual is held supreme over community

Where pleasure is more diligently sought than peace and purity

Where love has more to do with lust than sacrifice

What have we become?

From the moment sin entered our existence, we have been walking blind, unaware of the pain we place on ourselves. This corruption of the created order has steadily and exponentially progressed to this very moment.

Today we see division over restaurants, foods and politicians. We see strife over money, websites and statuses. We see hatred over cultures, skin color and religion.

We are provoked to take sides and to demonize others. We are pressured to rightfully fight for our independence. We are persuaded that radical protests is love and passivity is tolerance.

I’m not a political activist nor do I aspire to be one. But can we admit that our actions are messed up? Instead of turning the cheek, we throw our fists. Instead of praying for our enemies, we beat down and back stab.

What happened to those that interceded and sacrificed for their neighbor?

What happened to those that gave up individuality for the sake of the community?

What happened to those that believed in Jeremiah 29 1 through 10 , not just verse 11?

The more diligently we seek independence, the more we divide.

The more we choose sides, the less we realize:

No one is righteous before God.

Not one.

We all are sinners.

We all stand on the same side.

We all are in need of forgiveness, salvation, and grace.

Let’s look to his example.

Let’s stand in the gap.

Let’s turn the other cheek.

Let’s stop throwing stones.

Let’s seek out His and His glory alone.

The Fight

Let me set the scene

A crowd huddled as the struggle ensued

Anticipating the moment to cheer or jeer as the fighters move

What seemed so promising and so fascinating, turned out to be nothing more than this:

Blood and broken bones, shattered glass and scuffed up shoes

In this corner, a body draped drearily on the concrete floor

In this corner, the victor glaring at his opponents demise

The victor looks to the crowd, awaiting his applause

But is met with disinterest and disapproving eyes

While the opponent gathers up his body off the ground and the crowd disperses

The fighters’ eyes meet and the same thought enters both their minds

Maybe you’re the crowd

Just drifting by, stopping at whatever catches your eye

No real investment in others but just there to watch

And though detached from the situation, you feel superior

Casting your judgment from the sidelines

And when the hype has died and the outcome decided

You throw in your two cents, and buy your tickets for the next show

Maybe you’re the opponent

Pretending to be bigger than you are

Muscling your way into situations that will leave you bruised and broken

And though you knew the outcome before you threw a punch

You stepped in the ring anyways and got leveled in the gut

Now, you’re making excuses, claiming the victor’s luck and foul play

And though everyone else can see your blindness

Tomorrow, again, you will step into the fight

Maybe you’re the victor

Enthroning yourself too highly than you should

And when an opportunity to flex your strength arrives

Too quickly you chase it to claim your “kingship” as a prize

No mercy is considered in delivering blow after blow

Compassion is a weakness that only cowards show

And when it’s all said and done, you turn to bow and accept praise

But you’re letdown to find your royalty is nothing but a dream

Ask yourself this

Was it worth it?

To stand by

To endanger yourself

To weaken another

See, nowadays, we step into rings that we have no business entering

Whether it’s greed, whether it’s lust, whether it’s anger, whether it’s drugs

We even idly watch others step into these rings and call it entertainment

Or rather let them step into these fights and call it love and respect

And as the punches are delivered, everyone knows the outcome, it’s always the same

It’s always anticlimactic and never lives up to the hype

Rather, it leaves bruises, wounds, blood, even corpses

And brings everyone back to the question: Was it really worth it?

So if you’re left standing in the ring, take a good look around you, you are standing alone

And if you are lying in the ring, get up and go home

If you are a spectator sitting in the crowd, get your buddies out of the fight

It’s time to enter into these rings : faith, hope, love

It’s time to start fighting the good fight

Not just any fight

Expectations

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin"

A message to a king

A message sent in the midst of a party

A message sent with an understanding

Expectations

We all got ‘em

From cars, to houses, to boats

From husbands, to wives

From jobs, to status, to reputation

From friends, to family

Expectations

I knew where I would be in my life right now

I knew what I would be doing

I knew how I would get there

I knew that no matter the pitfalls, I would meet His expectations.

But now, here I stand, looking at the writing on the wall….

Written from a supernatural Guide

A finger on the wall

An inscription so clearly written

The king gathered the enchanters, the Chaldeans, the astrologers

But none of them could read the message it had hidden

Until Daniel came in…

How did I get here?

This is not where I was supposed to be.

Graduation in the rearview mirror…

And yet here I stand…

What does this writing say?

“You have been weighed in the balance and been found wanting.”

“You have been weighed in the balance and been found wanting.”

Expectations were not met.

I am a failure…

This is it…

This is the end…

And yet…

I am still standing.

Expectations were not met…

Yet somehow, I breathe another breath.

I deserve death

But instead, I’m given life

Why?

….

Grace, grace, God’s grace.

For I have fallen short of God’s standards

I have not met his expectations

And yet, while in my imperfections,

God took the punishment that my failures deserved

And because of that, I can meet expectations.

Through faith,

In the One that came

To take away my debt.

Take heart in this life. We all fall short of expectations. But through faith in Jesus, you can be redeemed and renewed.