Radical Forgiveness
You don’t know me but I’m one of Jesus’ disciples. Not just any disciple, but one of the big twelve. I was there from the beginning. I can’t even begin to tell you what it was like spending all that time with Jesus. He was like no one else I had ever met. He was not just another rabbi or religious teacher. Jesus was like having God walking around with us.
Jesus had so much power. He could calm storms, walk on water, cast out demons. Jesus could even raise the dead. With that kind of power he could have had anything he wanted.
But Jesus had only two things that were important: pleasing his heavenly Father and showing compassion to other people. The people knew this and so they would follow us everywhere. I know that some of them had no interest in what Jesus was teaching, they just wanted their miracle. They may have fooled some people but they didn’t fool me. They definitely didn’t fool Jesus. But instead of turning them away in anger, he still helped them. He healed them. I think I might have been a bit more picky about who I would heal.
We had been doing the ministry thing for a while in Galilee and then Jesus got it in his head that he had to go to Jerusalem. We all knew what that meant. We had met some conflict with the Pharisees and Sadducees in Galilee but the closer we got to Jerusalem, the greater their power would get. It would become dangerous for us and even more so for Jesus. But there was no changing Jesus’ mind. When he decided something, that was it.
So we arrived in Jerusalem. There was quite the welcome. At first I thought maybe things wouldn’t be as bad as I feared. Some of the pilgrims for Passover were calling for Jesus to be their king. This could be promising. But things quickly went down hill from there. It may have had something to do with that incident at the temple. Overturned tables and all that.
We arranged for the Passover meal and we met together. I had experienced many Passover meals but none like that. Jesus took the bread and broke it and compared it to his body. He took the cup of wine and compared it to his blood. It is not what we wanted to hear. Passover was supposed to be about how God saved his people and yet Jesus was using it to talk about his death. There was also a strange conversation with Judas. I didn’t understand it at the time but soon figured out what was happening. I never quite trusted that guy.
We finished our meal and went to Gethsemane. Jesus wanted to pray. I always appreciated that about him. Jesus was the closest person to God that I ever met and yet he always took time to pray. It was hard to see Jesus so upset.
After we finished praying, we saw a crowd of people coming toward us. I recognized one of them right away. It was Judas. I thought it was strange that he wasn’t with us. Judas led the crowd right up to Jesus and gave the signal with a kiss. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss! A kiss is supposed to be a sign of affection but he used it for betrayal. I wanted to punch him the face or do worse. A couple of us had swords and we were ready to use them. In the crowd were temple guards, all armed. There was no way we could beat them in a full on fight. But I was so full of anger. Jesus never did anything but good and here they come to arrest him like a common criminal. What could I do? I could kill Judas but the people behind the plot wouldn’t care. It would just save them from having to pay off Judas. Then I spotted him. The servant of the high priest. Of course the high priest wasn’t there. But he sent his servant to represent him. It was this servant that was leading the crowd. I couldn’t stop the arrest but I could make a statement that they would long remember. The easy thing would have been to stab in the stomach or cut off the head. That would lead to my instant death. So I had a better idea. I would slice off his right ear. Like Julius Caesar once said, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” I edged toward him and pulled out my sword and with a swoosh his ear was on the ground and he was crying like a little baby. I was pretty happy with myself but then I looked to Jesus. He looked very disappointed. Not only did he rebuke me, he put his hand on the ear of the screaming servant. The man became quiet and when Jesus removed his hand, the servant was healed.
Why would Jesus do something like that? These people were coming to arrest him. This was not for a night in jail, we knew that this was leading to crucifixion. We all had seen people dying the slow death on the cross. This servant represented the man that wanted Jesus dead the most. A slice of the servant’s ear was far less than what he really deserved. And yet Jesus healed him.
I was filled with anger at the injustice that was taking place and I longed for revenge. Jesus was filled with compassion and longed to bring healing. I later realized that this was the very last act of healing that Jesus did during his earthly ministry. And it was done to one who was arresting him.
In a way Jesus was also bringing healing upon me. Jesus had been teaching about forgiveness all through his ministry. He even linked God’s forgiveness of us to our forgiveness of others in a way that made me very uncomfortable. I thought that I got it but I didn’t. I was willing to forgive but only those who I thought deserved my forgiveness. Forgiveness was a response to sufficient regret for hurting me. But this servant showed no such regret and even went on to complete the arrest. Yet Jesus was still willing to show compassion.
I remember Jesus teaching us about loving our enemies. He really meant that. He meant that for us but demonstrated it in his own life. This is a hard truth.
What about you? Are there people you struggle to forgive? Are there people who have hurt you or have disappointed you and you feel as if they don’t deserve your forgiveness? Do you long for revenge for the hurt they have done to you? Do you wish you could cut off their ear or worse?
Jesus shows a different way. Instead of revenge, he points toward healing. Could you bless the person who hurt you, without any sign of regret from them? Don’t feel guilty if that sounds hard. Remember, I’m the guy with the sword. But sometimes the right way is the hard way. That is the case here as well.
Think about the people that have hurt you. Think about what you wish you could do to them. Now imagine what Jesus would do if he was in your place. Then let Jesus forgive them through you. It won’t be easy. trust me. But it is the Jesus way.
