Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 

Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him – Lilias Trotter

People do some pretty destructive things—even self-destructive things. If we’re watching, we shake our head and wonder what ever caused such unkind behaviors. It doesn’t make any sense. This is especially mystifying when it’s Christians who are behaving so destructively.

For weeks we’ve been talking about how kind people do what they do out of the identity that is theirs in Jesus. And it’s worth mentioning that people do unkind things out of their lack of identity. People do destructive and self-destructive things, even in the church, because their identity is in a muddle, or perhaps it’s in something other than Jesus.

If Jesus went through all sorts of trauma—by the spiritual leaders of his day; His flesh ripped apart, His beard torn out, spit on, hung on a cross, and He could look upon these people and say, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” that’s radical forgiveness.

But it’s also a diagnosis of their problem: They know not what they do. They were so caught up in an identity that had all to do with their religious beliefs, the building they went to worship in, but not in the God who wants to save them, that they were attempting to destroy God’s Son—and their only means of salvation—it makes no sense.

Except that people who have such a mixed up identity—where their identify is tied up in externals—are going to be destructive…expect destructive behavior from these people, even if they’re top-of-the-heap leaders such as Jesus faced; even if they’re relatives (which was traditionally the case for Jesus). It makes complete sense, if you realize where this deviant behavior is coming from. These people do what they do because they don’t know who they are.

So what do you do? People, yes, even church people, are going to do hurtful things. Even relatives. Even people you thought would be loyal to the end. Why wasn’t Jesus emotionally sidelined by all that was happening to him? Because He knew who He was. Which brings up a side comment: When we are hurt by the behavior of others it’s because we don’t know who we are in Jesus when the hurtful behavior comes at us. Time to get our focus back on Jesus.

You see, Jesus knew He was God’s Son, when the hurters came in like a flood; when the crowds joined in shouting “Crucify Him!” (And most of the crowd was made up of people who had welcomed him as King just a week earlier.) Jesus moved forward in His Father’s will and work. He didn’t get offended or bitter and resentful and self-pitying—because He knew who He was. And because of that, He could forgive.

You see, we need to have our identity in Jesus or we won’t be able to forgive. We may want to forgive; we may try to; but we won’t be able. It’s only when our connection with Jesus is so wonderful—when we’ve ‘Turned our eyes upon Jesus’ that ‘the things of earth grow strangely dim’.

Until our eyes are fixed on Him, the things of earth, the hurts, the injustices, the disloyalties and all the rest, are going to keep raising their ugly heads, unavoidable; and we’ll keep being captivated by unforgiveness.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
– Helen H. Lemmel based on the words of Lilias Trotter