Christ’s Love for His Enemies

One of the important attributes of Jesus Christ that challenged me last year while I meditated on the seven words of Christ on the cross was the love of Christ in praying for His enemies. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the first word that He uttered was the prayer for His enemies. This prayer was not for His friends, but it was for His enemies who crucified Him on the cross. Jesus prayed for the people who crucified Him, beat him and mocked at Him in the following way: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

About the way in which the Lord prayed for His enemies, Warren W. Wiersbe wrote, “The Greek New Testament indicates that our Lord repeated this prayer. He said several times, “Father, forgive them.” As they laid Him on the cross on the ground, He said, “Father, forgive them.” As they nailed His hands and His feet to that cross, He prayed again, “Father, forgive them.” When they lifted that cross and placed it in the holes in the ground, our Lord prayed, “Father, forgive them.” As He was hanging there between heaven and earth, He was repeatedly praying, “Father, forgive them.”

He could have prayed, “Father, judge them; Father, bring punishment upon them.” He could have called for legions of angels to deliver Him, but He did not do it. Many times you and I have wanted to bring down fire from heaven on somebody, and we’ve prayed, “O Father, judge them; hurt them.” But our Lord prayed from a heart of love, “Father, forgive them.”” 

Is this not another example of the agape love of Christ shown in action? Is it not a model for us to follow? If this model is followed among Christians, then most of the divisions and inter personal relationship problems in our churches and mission agencies will vanish. May the Lord help all His children to follow the model of Jesus in showing divine love not only to our friends but also to our enemies.

(Taken from True Discipleship, March-April 2001)