Enduring the pain of words that insult and wound

Father, Forgive them – Luke 23:34

The words hurled on that Friday morning were anything but ‘good’.

The onlookers jeered, ‘Come down from the cross’. The criminals teased, ‘Save yourself and us’. The religious leaders taunted, ‘He saved others, yet he can’t save himself.’

These were hurtful, painful words laced with anger and hatred.

Was it not enough that His life was ebbing out of Him? Were the nails too small? Was the crown of thorns too light? Were the stripes too few?

For some, it was. For every vocal rock hurled against Him, Jesus simply said, ‘Father forgive them!’

How many times do you too, dear friend, endure the same pain from words that wound?

Maybe you are still reeling from a well-timed verbal assault slammed on the canvas of life by someone you loved.

Perhaps you are wounded by a bullet loaded with damaging words.

If your wounds are deep, Jesus offers a balm, ‘Forgive them!’ We need not trudge through life trying to prove ourselves to everyone. Prove yourself to God. Invite Him to read every page of your heart.

That day on the cross they wrote ‘insults’ or charges against Christ and nailed it to the cross above Him. The Hebrew inscription read as follows: Yeshua HaNazarei v MelechHaYehudim – Jesus the Nazarene and King of the Jews.

When the name of God is written in Hebrew, the vowels are omitted. So when Jesus was nailed to the cross, even His accusers declared him to be God, Yahweh.

So dear friend, when accusations are thrown at you, God turns them around into your blessings.

Romans 8: 28 declares, ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose’.

You friend are called to His purpose. Stay blessed this Easter knowing that His words heal.

Pastor Shalin and Jenny Govinden

Good Tidings