第二十三章

26 帶耶穌去的時候，。。。。32 又有兩個犯人，和耶穌一同帶來處死。 33 到了一個地方，名叫「髑髏地」，就在那裏把耶穌釘在十字架上，又釘了兩個犯人：一個在左邊，一個在右邊。 34 當下耶穌說：「父啊！赦免他們；因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。」兵丁就拈鬮分他的衣服。 35 百姓站在那裏觀看。官府也嗤笑他，說：「他救了別人；他若是基督，　神所揀選的，可以救自己吧！」 36 兵丁也戲弄他，上前拿醋送給他喝， 37 說：「你若是猶太人的王，可以救自己吧！」 38 在耶穌以上有一個牌子（有古卷加：用希臘、羅馬、希伯來的文字）寫著：「這是猶太人的王。」 39 那同釘的兩個犯人有一個譏笑他，說：「你不是基督嗎？可以救自己和我們吧！」 40 那一個就應聲責備他，說：「你既是一樣受刑的，還不怕　神嗎？ 41 我們是應該的，因我們所受的與我們所做的相稱，但這個人沒有做過一件不好的事。」 42 就說：「耶穌啊，你得國降臨的時候，求你記念我！」 43 耶穌對他說：「我實在告訴你，今日你要同我在樂園裏了。」

默想：

1. 耶穌在十字架上，承受無比的痛苦；跟隨基督的道路就是十字架的道路，必須準備受苦和捨命，正如耶穌一樣。我害怕嗎？我仍會走下去嗎？
2. 耶穌臨死時的禱告，求神赦免那些把他置於死地的人──猶太領袖們、羅馬的政客和軍人、圍觀的人。其實，我對主的態度有時也和那些人一樣，頂撞、背逆、忽略、甚至厭棄；因此，我也同樣地參與在將耶穌致於死地的群眾中，而耶穌的禱告也包括了赦免我這個罪人。
3. 繼續默想這個意念，向神獻上感恩的禱告。

Luke 23

²⁶As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰Then ” ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ‘ ³¹For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”  ³²Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  ³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”  ³⁶The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  ³⁸There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  ³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”  ⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  ⁴³Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Meditation:

1. Jesus bore much suffering on the cross.  The road to follow Christ is one of the cross.  We must be prepared to suffer and even to die just as Jesus did.  Am I afraid?  Will I continue to go on this road?
2. Just before his death, Jesus prayed and asked God to forgive those who crucified Him.  Come to think of it, isn’t my attitude toward Jesus similar to those people that day, rebellious, neglecting, even rejecting Him?  Indeed, I was among the crowd putting Jesus to death.  So, Jesus’ prayer has included forgiveness for me, the sinner.
3. Continue to meditate on this thought.  Afterward, offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God.

Family Time

While on the cross, Jesus made several statements.  Here Jesus asked forgiveness for those crucifying him.  Discuss what it means to forgive.  Is it possible to forgive and forget?  Which is more difficult: to ask for forgiveness or to forgive?  Compare the way God forgives us with the way we forgive others.