Hate. Such a strong word. Just say it. HATE. It is a powerful word. Just saying it, you can feel that raw emotion. When we say, “I HATE”, we feel more powerful. There’s ugliness about that word too. Hate makes people strap bombs to their bodies and blow themselves up. Hate makes people burn other people alive. Hate seethes, it reeks. Hate devours. Where love desires attachment, hate demands detachment.
I HATE YOU
Why do those words come out? Have you ever said that or had that said to you? It’s actually quite powerful. Nothing will suck the life out of a relationship faster than those three little words. Sometimes it is a purely emotional outburst. But, I contend that if it comes out, it wasn’t far from the surface to begin with.
I HATE YOU
How do you recover from that? Do we just go on? Pretend like nothing happened? Do we forgive and forget? Move on? Do we turn the other cheek so that it can be bloodied also? What do you say to the parents of a young child, kidnapped, abused and killed. What do you say to children who lost their parents because of a drunk driver? Is it OK to hate? What do you say to the wife of a convenience store worker killed in a botched robbery? Is it OK to hate?
————————————————-
Jesus could have hated. He was framed for crimes he didn’t commit. He was beaten until he was unrecognizable. He was humiliated, made fun of. Mocked. He was forced to carry his own execution device to the top of a hill so everyone could see his death. Imagine if you were made to build your own electric chair or tie your own noose. Then they drove nails into his hands. The other common thieves didn’t even go through what he had to endure. He hung there for hours. When he was thirsty they gave him a bitter wine. They couldn’t even give him a glass of water. Is it OK to hate those who did this to them? Where was his hate? Surely that warranted a little hate!
NO, Jesus didn’t hate. In fact, he showed love. His actions on the cross that day speak volumes on why He was and is God. The Man who could raise people from the dead, said, “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing.”
Father forgive them.
Jesus was saying – “Dad, don’t hold this against them. I love them. I want them to turn from their hatred and learn to love. Even now, as I hang here on this cross, I’m doing it so that they will know how much I love them and how much I love you. When that pang of hatred starts creeping up inside, I want to be the reminder of how to act.”
Father forgive them.
I LOVE YOU…