Sand Mountain Sermonette 91
Luke 23:34; Matthew 5:43-45(a)
Lemon Pie
“When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” Luke 23:33-34
Once my mom told me of the time when, as a young girl, she went out on a date with Neil Galloway; and they were with another couple. While they were out, they all decided to go to Betty Ruth Bearden’s house to see if she had one of her delicious lemon pies made because they were known for being the best lemon pies in the area. When they got there, Neil, (mother’s date), took up with Betty Ruth and later married her!
Fifty years later mother received a call from a long-time friend of hers from home by the name of Jackie West. Jackie told my mom that she had been listening to Eddie Arnold sing and remembered that she (my mom) had taken her (Jackie’s) boyfriend, Neil Galloway, away from her. And mom replied as quickly as possible with this, “Jackie, if it will make you feel any better, I lost him to a piece of lemon pie.” They laughed and spent probably a couple of hours on the phone, and all was forgiven--all was well.
Oh, if life were always that easy! The truth is, unforgiveness lurks at every corner seeking to enslave and to destroy! A harsh word-a take away-a seeking for revenge as the injustice replays over and over in our minds. Oh! how this grows sour in the soul! How vital is a Biblical and experiential understanding of the issues surrounding “forgiveness: of the other person, self, and God?”
Pay close attention to the life of little Ruby Bridges who, in the 1960’s, was the first African American child to enter an all-white elementary school in Louisiana and how she did not retaliate when faced with the hatred and animosity she received from others. Instead, she responded with the words Jesus spoke from the cross in Luke 23:34.
Jesus bore the evils and the hatred of society upon His body on Calvary’s tree for you and for me and as the old spiritual hymn reads, “He never said a mumbling word.” Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…” Matthew 5:43-45(a).
The place where we stand forgiven (and empowered to be forgiving), is at the cross.
Thank you Jesus for forgiving me!
Pastor Louie