On top of Jesus’ To-Do List

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

In my life, I do not doubt that I have sinned, made mistakes, or hurt others. And though there have been moments when I knew that I was doing wrong—perhaps cutting in front of others at the train station or not going out of my way to help a beggar—most of the time, I didn’t know that I was wrong. Or perhaps I had grown so used to seeing others commit the same sins that I had conditioned myself into thinking that it was no longer wrong.

Whenever I’d forget to text my parents that I’d be coming home late, I didn’t intentionally want to worry them. When I couldn’t control my temper, I thought I was just using my right to self-expression. When I skipped doing house chores, I just wanted to rest but did not realize at the time that it would cause my mother some hardship. Sometimes, I still get confused between right and wrong, or just okay and better.

For all my sins, for all my wrongs, I am truly sorry. And I praise and thank Jesus for washing me of them. When he was nailed to the cross, the first thing he asked from God was forgiveness—not for his own sins, for he had none—but for the sins of those who had wronged Him; for my sins; for our sins. His first words at the cross remind me that, more than just granting wishes or healing our illnesses, Christ first came down to earth and died for the forgiveness of Man.

The essay above is the writer’s personal reflection on the first of Christ’s Seven Last Words.

Photo by Momon Ramos taken from Lovecloud.