Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Luke 23:34
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An honest verse
On the cross, Jesus prays for the people crucifying him. It is one of the best-known words from the story of his suffering.
To be honest: this verse is missing from a number of the oldest manuscripts of Luke. Scholars disagree about whether it was there originally. But it fits what Jesus had taught earlier: pray for those who treat you badly. And Stephen later prays almost the same thing as he dies. Whether the verse is original or not, it fits the way Jesus lived.
Question for today
Who can I hand over to God today, instead of continuing to hold it against them?
Prayer
Father, you know the people who have hurt me. I can't always forgive. Help me to hand them over to you anyway, as Jesus did. Amen.