John 14:6-7
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Luke 7:44-47
Those Who Can Only Forgive a Little, Can Only Love a Little
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Luke 23:27-37
Forgive Them Father for They Do Not Know What They are Doing
27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 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.”
Years ago Martin Luther King said that, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that...Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."...That quote still lives with me today, and I think about it as the world continues to struggle with its problems...When we are feeling dark and hateful, it seems so easy for us to want revenge and to have thoughts of getting even with the one or ones who has harmed or hurt us or our families...When we are injured by someone it seems the love in us can quickly leave us...Love just goes...It can happen so quickly...Revenge and hate can, in our injured times, be more in control than our loving side...And when love leaves us we are on the dark side...When the love leaves us, we are set up to take our thoughts to the negative side and we sometimes want to seek revenge...Darkness can truly set in...And, if one believes Dr. King, hate cannot drive out one's personal hate...Hate takes the road to revenge...It takes love to drive out the hate...
What if there was another way...There is this Light and this Love around us...But this other way is very hard, and the way is a narrow one...When darkness comes, it seems the narrow road is much less traveled...And it is not an easy way...This path is called the Way, the Truth, and the Life...If one can only gather their mustard strength faith and say something to the effect, I know I may never forget the harm you have done me, but Jesus has told me to forgive, so that I can love again...He has taught me that whoever has been forgiven little can only love a little...He has taught me that forgiving is the right thing to do...Love then has the chance to drive out the hate...Light has the chance to drive out the darkness...He has taught me that love forgives and that His love does not seek revenge...Then and only then will grace abound...