Though we may not express it in so many words, we like to see people suffer. When the overachiever at work gets the flue and his work piles up on his desk, we get a twisted sense of pleasure. Or when the daughter of the “perfect” family at church gets pregnant outside of wedlock, and there is something inside of us that is pleased that they have finally fallen out of their ivory tower. And don’t we experience a little bit of satisfaction when we hear that the guy with the big house and nice car lost his job?
Even if these are just momentary feelings, they still reveal the dreadful corruption of the deepest part of our being. In the very moments when we ought to feel pity and sympathy, we feel pleasure and satisfaction in the suffering and loss of others.
Or perhaps, on the other side of the equation, when we are wronged, is not our first reaction to seek revenge? “Settling the score”, getting back at the one who we perceive has harmed us.
Oh the darkness of our hearts!
Dear reader, can you not see the dying Lamb of God upon the vulgar cross? His flesh exposed. His breath short and fast. His clothes stripped from his boy. His veins collapsing. And can you not hear His cry, “Father, forgive them”? Then let us with Him, forgive all those who have in any way wronged us.
Father, transform me into the image of Your Son Jesus. Let the humility that was in Him, be in me as well. Teach me to forgive others as Christ forgave.
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