One of the most significant stories in the Bible to the Christian faith is about the thief being crucified next to Jesus.
If you're a Christ follower, you probably know the story. If you don't claim to be a Christian or follow Christ, the example that Jesus sets is still genuinely applicable.
There are actually two men being crucified alongside Jesus. We only know them described as thieves and criminals. They start out mocking him at first. One of them prompts Jesus to pull off some miracle and save all three of them if he really is God in the flesh.
The other changes his tone. He sees Jesus going through this anguish and suffering. He challenges the other thief, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment? We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
He then pleads with him, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
This exchange took place after Jesus had been humiliated by the Roman soldiers. They ripped his clothes off and sold them to people in the crowd. Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
The reason I highlight the significance of these moments is because this is a level of forgiveness that we don't understand.
The thief had nothing to gain in the world's eyes. He was already hanging for his crimes, and his death wouldn't be far behind that of Jesus. We don't know what he did, but it seems like he didn't apologize to the people he wronged.
Jesus didn't take an inventory of this man. Instead he saw his genuine recognition of his deserving fate. We see the thief, in a moment’s notice, acknowledge not only his own faults, but also the innocence of Jesus.
We see Jesus respond with the forgiveness of this man's sin. He didn't start to question his past. He didn't confront him about his crimes. He didn't even ask his name. He saw a genuinely repentant heart, and he forgave.
A level of forgiveness that we don't understand. I think about all the trivial grudges I've held. All the times when sorry wasn't good enough. Because in the end, we're naturally selfish people.
We need you to work for it. You don't get to offend us and then just apologize and go back to normal life. That's not fair.
What about the Roman soldiers? They weren't even sorry. They had no intention of feeling an ounce of guilt for crucifying an innocent man. Jesus seemingly forgave them anyway.
We have a hard enough time forgiving people who actually love us. Forget about the ones that aren't even sorry.
The thing about forgiveness is it actually sets you free. It's about dropping a grudge, getting rid of resentment, bitterness, and pride. It's about moving on. Life is too short.
Those people that drive you up a wall—those weird colleagues or those grueling daily interactions. The people that have hurt you. That you feel like you can't tolerate anymore—Let em go. You can't be the best version of yourself unless you do.