HOMILY: The first word Jesus speaks from the Cross “Father, Forgive Them – The Triumph of Divine Mercy from the Cross” Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”
The first word Jesus speaks from the Cross
“Father, Forgive Them – The Triumph of Divine Mercy from the Cross”
Luke 23:34 “Father,
forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”
1. Introduction – The Voice from the Cross
My dear
brothers and sisters,
The Cross
of Christ is not only the place of suffering.
It is also the place where God's heart is revealed.
Before
Jesus died on the Cross, He spoke seven times.
These sayings are known in Christian tradition as the Seven Last Words of
Jesus.
Each word
reveals something about:
- the love of Christ,
- the mission of salvation,
- and the heart of God toward humanity.
The first
word spoken by Jesus from the Cross is this:
“Father,
forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
This word
opens the Gospel of the Cross.
It reveals to us that God is a God who forgives.
The Cross
begins not with condemnation,
but with forgiveness.
2. The Gospel of Forgiveness
This first
word from the Cross is the Gospel of Forgiveness.
Jesus does
not speak about revenge.
Jesus does not speak about punishment.
Instead, He
prays:
“Father,
forgive them.”
Notice
something beautiful.
Jesus does
not say:
“Father,
punish them.”
“Father, destroy them.”
“Father, judge them.”
Instead, He
says:
“Father,
forgive them.”
The Cross
therefore becomes the great pulpit of mercy.
At the
moment of greatest suffering,
Jesus reveals the greatest love.
3. What Usually Happens to Crucified People
History
tells us that people who were crucified behaved very differently.
Those who
were crucified often:
- cursed the day of their birth
- cursed the executioners
- cursed their enemies
- cursed the crowd watching them
Many of
them shouted terrible words of anger and blasphemy.
Sometimes
their rage became so violent that their tongues had to be cut down to stop
their blasphemies.
Crucifixion
brought:
- unbearable pain
- humiliation
- hatred
- despair.
But Jesus
is completely different.
While
others cursed,
Jesus forgave.
While
others shouted anger,
Jesus prayed.
While
others spoke hatred,
Jesus spoke mercy.
4. Everyone Was Waiting for His Reaction
At Calvary
many people were watching Jesus.
They were
waiting to see how He would react.
Among them
were:
- Executioners
- Scribes
- Pharisees
- Roman authorities
- The mocking crowd
They
expected Jesus to shout in anger.
They
expected Him to curse those who nailed Him.
But instead
they heard something shocking.
Instead of
a cry of revenge,
they heard a prayer of forgiveness.
“Father,
forgive them.”
The Cross
became the place where divine love defeated human hatred.
5. Jesus Practiced What He Preached
During His
ministry, Jesus had preached something very radical.
He taught:
“Love your
enemies.”
“Do good to those who hate you.”
These
teachings sounded beautiful when spoken in peace.
But now
Jesus was experiencing:
- nails in His hands
- nails in His feet
- a crown of thorns on His head
- mockery from the crowd
- betrayal by friends.
Yet Jesus
did not forget His own Gospel.
Even in
unbearable pain,
He lived the message He preached.
He did not
forget the Gospel because of the pain in His hands and feet.
Instead, He
fulfilled the Gospel perfectly.
6. Whom Was Jesus Forgiving?
When Jesus
said:
“Father,
forgive them.”
Who were
the “them”?
Many people
were involved in the suffering of Jesus.
1. The soldiers who struck Him
In the court
of Caiaphas, soldiers slapped Jesus and mocked Him.
2. The Roman soldiers
They
flogged Him brutally and nailed Him to the Cross.
3. Pontius Pilate
Pilate knew
Jesus was innocent.
Yet, to
maintain friendship with Caesar and protect his political position, he
condemned Jesus.
4. The crowd
They
shouted:
“Crucify
Him!”
5. Those who asked for Barabbas
The people
demanded that Barabbas be released instead of Christ.
An innocent
Savior was rejected,
while a criminal was set free.
And yet
Jesus prayed:
“Father,
forgive them.”
7. The Mystery of Divine Love
There is a
beautiful image used by spiritual writers.
Imagine a
fragrant sandalwood tree that spreads a sweet aroma everywhere.
When the
tree is cut with an axe.
What does
the tree do?
The tree
only produces fragrance for the axe.
The deeper
the cut,
the stronger the fragrance.
This is
what happened on the Cross.
The Cross
was the axe.
But from
the heart of Jesus flowed the fragrance of love.
The deeper
the wounds,
the greater the mercy.
From the heart
of Christ,
love poured out for the world.
8. “They Do Not Know What They Are Doing”
Jesus adds
another line.
“They do
not know what they are doing.”
This does
not mean they were completely innocent.
But Jesus
recognized something important.
Many people
who hurt others do not fully understand the evil they are doing.
Sin blinds
the human heart.
Hatred
blinds the mind.
Fear blinds
judgment.
Jesus
therefore shows compassion.
He sees
beyond their actions.
He sees
their ignorance and blindness.
And He
prays for mercy.
9. The Challenge for Us
The first
word from the Cross teaches us something very difficult.
We must
forgive.
Not only
the people who make small mistakes.
But also
the people who hurt us deeply.
Sometimes
the people who hurt us are:
- family members
- friends
- neighbors
- colleagues
- leaders
- people we trusted.
Some wounds
in life are very deep.
Yet Jesus
tells us:
If we want
to follow Him,
we must learn to forgive.
Because the
Cross shows us that forgiveness is stronger than hatred.
10. Forgiveness Heals the Human Heart
When we
refuse to forgive, something happens inside us.
Our hearts
become filled with:
- bitterness
- anger
- resentment
- pain.
But
forgiveness heals the heart.
Forgiveness
releases the soul.
Forgiveness
restores peace.
This is why
Jesus prayed for His enemies.
Because forgiveness
brings freedom.
11. Becoming People of Forgiveness
The first
word of Jesus from the Cross is not only history.
It is an
invitation.
Christ asks
each of us:
Who do you
need to forgive?
Is there
someone who hurt you?
Is there
someone you cannot forget?
Is there
someone you refuse to forgive?
Look at the
Cross.
Listen to
Jesus.
“Father,
forgive them.”
If Christ
forgave His executioners,
surely we can begin to forgive those who hurt us.
12. Conclusion – The Greatest Victory of the Cross
At Calvary,
hatred tried to destroy love.
Violence
tried to silence mercy.
But the
Cross reveals the final truth.
Love is
stronger than hatred.
Mercy is stronger than sin.
Forgiveness is stronger than revenge.
The first word of Jesus from the Cross,
therefore, becomes the beginning of our salvation.
The Cross
is not the defeat of Christ.
It is the victory
of divine mercy.
And from
the Cross, Jesus still speaks to the world today:
“Father,
forgive them.”
May we
listen to that voice.
May we
receive that mercy.
And may we
become people who forgive as Christ forgave.
13. Prayer
Loving and
merciful Father,
we thank You for revealing Your infinite mercy through Your Son Jesus Christ on
the Cross.
When He was
wounded, He forgave.
When He was rejected, He loved.
When He was crucified, He prayed for those who hurt Him.
Lord, we
confess that many times our hearts are filled with anger, resentment, and
unforgiveness.
Teach us to forgive as Jesus forgave.
Give us the
grace to let go of bitterness.
Give us the courage to love even those who hurt us.
Fill our hearts with the mercy that flowed from the Cross.
May the
words of Jesus,
“Father, forgive them,”
echo in our hearts and transform our lives.
Help us to
become instruments of forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation in our families,
in our communities, and in the world.
We ask this
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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ADDANKI RAJU.
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A Gentle Invitation to Share
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message has brought you even a small measure of joy, light, encouragement, or
spiritual nourishment, I humbly invite you to share this spiritual food with
others.
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By sharing
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Let the
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May the
Lord use you to spread His light.
May His Word bear abundant fruit.
God bless
you abundantly.
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