Seeing is Not Always Believing

The early Jews believed that the coming of the Messiah would bring God's judgement against evil. They were correct. So right they couldn't see the truth of what was happening right before their very eyes.

The Jews of Jesus' time “knew” that anyone who was crucified, or “hung on a tree” was under God's curse. To be under God's curse AND to be the Messiah seemed an unresolvable conundrum.

In reality, Jesus came to our planet to bear the judgement and wrath of Creator God against evil and those on the side of evil. Jesus, our Messiah, our Saviour came to die in our place.

What kind of a person would push away, or reject that kind of an offer?

It' Who We Are

Sure people have died horrible deaths in Syria. Sure another 100 thousand are likely to follow.

“So how does that affect me? If it doesn't affect me let'em die.”

It's who we are.

Why, Hitler could have kept frying Jews to this very day - if only he'd stayed within his own boarders. 

It's who we were. 

Even atheists rage against God for punishing the societies that were so evil it was the norm to offer their children as live burnt offerings to their gods. 

It's who they are.

The farther our society gets from Jesus, the less we care about the lives and well-being of others.

It's who we are. 

Jews and Prophecy

It's no news to say that, while many Jewish people have accepted the truth of Jesus as Messiah, as of yet most have not. Like atheists, these people can pour over the Torah and completely miss what's being said.

The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jews as a whole was prophesied in Isaiah and in Daniel. The Jews’ preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would do made it impossible for them to recognise Jesus as Messiah.

The problem is, they have ignored Old Testament prophecy which clearly explains that the Messiah will NOT accomplish what the Jews expected Him to accomplish. Many times I've heard Jewish people say, “The Messiah is supposed to bring peace. But when I look out my window I don't see peace.” The problem is not what they see. The problem is that they don't know Torah, which says clearly, 

"The Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler [Rome] will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple" (Daniel 9:26). (My insertion).

At the same time, thousands upon thousands of Jews DID accept Jesus as Messiah and all of the first missionary efforts took place in Jewish places of worship. From that time until now there has always been a remnant of Jews who know their Scriptures and recognise Jesus as their Messiah. 

1) Isaiah 52:13- 53:12: This tells us that the Messiah will be highly exalted BUT not before He suffers terribly. He would be beaten beyond recognition, lifted up (crucified) and would live again after being crucified. 
2) There have been two Temples in Jerusalem. 
a) In 2nd Chronicles 7:17-22 Israel was warned that if its sin reached a certain level the first Temple would be destroyed. Its sin did reach that level and the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, just as predicted. 
b) In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel prophesied that a second Temple would be built and that Temple too would be destroyed. It did get built and it was destroyed by Rome, again as prophesied. 
According to prophecy, several things regarding Messiah were going to happen prior to the destruction of the second Temple. 
a) Haggai 2:6-9 - This prophecy tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be greater than the first. That sounds like a “so what” kind of statement. Build a bigger Temple and you get your greater glory. Problem - the physical structure of the second Temple was pitiful in comparison with the first Temple that was built by Solomon. Yet, this passage tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be GREATER than the first. While the word for glory can sometimes mean “wealth” (was the Temple filled with coins?) for the passage to say - “I” will fill the [second] Temple with glory,” clearly implies the presence of God Himself. 
b) Malachi 3:1-5 - This prophecy tells us that prior to the destruction of the second Temple, the Messiah would come to the Temple. “The Lord you are seeking will come to His temple.” The Jews were looking for a human Messiah. However, since the word used for “Lord” always and only refers to God Himself, they COULD have known that Messiah would be God Himself. 
c) Daniel 9:24 - This prophecy tells us that before the second Temple is destroyed the Messiah would provide for an everlasting atoning sacrifice for all people. No more temporary sacrifices would need to be offered.
If prophecy is accurate then these things had to happen and in fact they did happen prior to the Temple being destroyed in 70AD.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus 2,000 years ago, religious Jews have had:
NO atonement system, 
NO functioning priesthood and 
NO functioning Temple. 
That is because all of the above found their fulfilment in Jesus. The Jews were expecting Messiah to come and rescue them. He did come, He did provide the means for spiritual rescue (the only kind that’s important), but they did not recognise Him.
Are you getting this? 
1. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, the Messiah would come to the second Temple before it was destroyed. 
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD. 
If Messiah didn’t come to the Temple prior to its destruction in 70AD, then Messiah isn’t coming at all. 
2. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, atonement for sins would be made by Messiah prior to the destruction of the second Temple. 
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD
If atonement for the sins of the world didn’t take place prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70AD it isn’t going to happen. 
But 
. One claiming and proving to be the Messiah - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD.
. One providing atonement for sins - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD
. Jesus visitation to the second Temple was the only visitation by Messiah to take place.
. Jesus glory, the very presence of God incarnate, was the only way that the second Temple’s glory was greater than the first. 
Because of a prior commitment to a different belief system, you may not like the idea of Jesus being Messiah, but if Jesus isn’t Messiah then nobody is Messiah.
If none of this took place prior to the destruction of the Temple which took place in 70AD then we may as well say that atheists are correct because the prophecies were not fulfilled and it’s all a lie. 
However:
All of this did take place in the person of Jesus. 
The prophecies were fulfilled. 
The Messiah did come right on schedule.
This is not speculation. This is historical fact!

It's All About Israel!

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the nation of Israel?”

It sounds as though Jesus' disciples don’t have a clue. Here is Jesus, He’s died, He was buried, He rose from the dead, He interacted with hundreds of people for almost two months, and these guys are STILL focused on the nation of Israel.

What is wrong with them?

As a matter of fact, they aren’t nearly as dull as they might sound. 

The fact is, Israel IS the main point of the story. 

I often wonder if the Jews are God's chosen people because they are universally reviled, or are they universally reviled because they are God's chosen people. Given the enmity between our Creator and satan (and satan's work in the lives of people) I suspect it is the latter.

The rise and development of the nation of Israel is a huge, huge part of what the Bible is about. It’s a huge part of why God created humanity. Of course the salvation of the elect is a big deal. Of course the punishment of those who are guilty of disobedience is a big deal. But Israel, the nation, the people, their role in the “life” of God the Son, this is at least as important as what we naturally think about when we read the Gospels. 

“My Body Is My Temple”

I can’t remember who is was, but some famous ball player, who was being accused of using steroids emphatically stated that he would never do such a thing because, “My body is my temple.”

This was eight or nine months before he confessed that he had in fact used steroids.

If you don’t know the Bible you might not know where his corrupted metaphor came from. You see, when God first chose the Israelites to be His people, (are the Jews hated because they’re God’s chosen people, or did God choose them because they’re hated?) God dwelt in a Temple (an elaborate tent complex) in a visible way so they could know that He had not abandoned them after leading them from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.

Upon our entering into a healed and forgiven relationship with Jesus, our Lord, Saviour and Creator, His Spirit comes to dwell within us, making us His temple. Creator God takes us, His elected, predestined and chosen people, whom He has freed from slavery to sin and brought to freedom and He resides within us as He guides, counsels, comforts and corrects us on our journey from His advanced Kingdom here on earth now, to the new Kingdom in heaven. This will take place when Jesus returns to gather His own to Himself.

My body is not My Temple
My body is not A Temple
My body is The Temple of the Spirit of the living God
I had better treat it accordingly in all I think, say and do.

God’s Promises

While salvation or reconciliation with God has always been by grace through faith, the Bible teaches that the ultimate purpose of history is not the salvation of man. Rather the ultimate purpose of history is the glorification of God through the revelation and completion of His plan for the universe.

God has two distinct programs for history:
The first is for Israel.
The Second is for the Church, His believers.


God’s promise regarding Abraham:
. I will bless you
. I will make your name great
. I will give you descendants too many too count
. I will give your descendants the land of Canaan for everlasting possession
. I will bless those who bless your descendants and curse those who curse your descendants

God’s promise re Israel:
. I will bring Israel into existence as a nation
. I will give Israel great influence over other nations
. I will disperse you into other countries around the world because of disobedience
. I will bring you back from other countries around the world to reform your nation
. I will make tiny Israel like a stone around the neck of the other nations of the world.
. I will give Israel the land of Canaan forever

God’s universal promise:
. I will bless all the families of the earth through Abraham’s line of descent - the Messiah who has existed from eternity past, since before the universe began.

God began the nation of Israel more than 4,000 years ago through the call of Abraham. The nation of Israel was to fulfil three distinct roles:
. To be a nation of people who would worship Creator God. This would be a nation of people through whom God would reveal His divine plan to the world.
. To be a nation of people who would receive, record and spread God’s Word to the world.
. To be a nation of people through whom God would reconcile the whole world to Himself through the person of God the Son, who would be born into the Jewish race.

As prohesied, God brought the Israelites to Egypt to form them into a nation several million strong. In the wilderness God gave them the Law. Exiled for unbelief they were brought back to Palestine, as prophesied, for the arrival of Jesus. Shortly after the beginning of the Church Age (recorded in Acts), the Jews, as prophesied were scattered around the world and the nation of Israel dropped from view. However, the nation of Israel did not cease to exist from God’s plan. Again, as prophesied, almost 2,000 years later the nation of Israel was once again brought back into existence and Jews, as prophesied, came streaming home from around the world. At the Rapture the Church age will end. This event will usher in a time of distress upon the earth the likes of which has never been seen before. This time of tribulation will bring Israel to repentance for rejecting its Messiah. It will also be a time for judging Gentile Nations for their rebellion against God and for how they treated “the apple of God’s eye,” the Jewish people.

"Jews like Jesus"

In light of my post on Donald Trump, I'd like to highlight a way of living that is in direct contrast to Trump.

“They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore”

That’s a line in a song that was written by a guy called Kinky Friedman. Friedman ran for Governor of Texas a few years back. His slogan was,
“Governor? How hard can it be?”

The point of this post is, not only are they not making Jews like Jesus anymore. They ain’t making anybody like Jesus then, now or at any time in the future. If we can go by the Gospels, and I believe we can, then Jesus was a truly unique human being who invites us to become part of the advance Kingdom of God that He brought deep into enemy territory on planet earth.

The way that Jesus acted and interacted in His relationships was totally other. So unlike human nature as we know it, His closest followers were barely able to grasp what it was that Jesus was trying to teach. Of course, they weren’t the brightest bunch of guys, but even the most educated completely misunderstood what they were seeing. Much like most people today.

What Jesus was teaching seemed to have something to do with a Kingdom of God that was coming at some point in the future, yet at the same time, according to Jesus, this Kingdom was also already here. It is a Kingdom, Jesus said, that is all around us and could even be within us. And while this Kingdom is not based on rules, it comes with a set of behaviours and attitudes that can be clearly seen in those who are part of this Kingdom; those who have this Kingdom within them.

For example:
Generosity and forgiveness - especially towards ones enemies.

Another characteristic is an almost emptying of one’s self and a steady focus on putting others first in importance.

An unforced humility, patience and faithfulness.

To the Greeks of the time, as is true even today, these traits were seen as signs of weakness and not useful to a utilitarian form of thought.

These traits, known to be part of God’s Kingdom, where these thoughts are done on earth as they are in heaven - are traits expected of heaven’s citizens.

Those who exude these traits are as enigmatic and incomprehensible to the neighbour’s of Kingdom dwellers today as they were to those who observed Jesus when He dwelt among us.

No, they sure ain’t making Jews like Jesus, anymore.

The Temple

Over at John Loftus’ blog I’d mentioned that according to prophecy, the Messiah must come to the Temple. Obviously this means He would come to the Temple before its destruction, which took place in 70AD.

To save time and space I’ll just touch on the main points.
1) Isaiah 52:13- 53:12: This tells us that the Messiah will be highly exalted BUT not before He suffers terribly. He would be beaten beyond recognition, lifted up (crucified) and would live again after being crucified.

Only a prior commitment to a world-view that is hostile to Jesus could prevent someone from recognising the life of Jesus in this passage.

The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jews as a whole was also prophesied in this very same Isaiah passage. The Jews’ preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would do (see tomorrow’s post) made it possible for them to not recognise Him as Messiah. At the same time, thousands upon thousands of Jews DID accept Jesus as Messiah and all of the first missionary efforts took place in Jewish places of worship. From that time until now there has always been a remnant of Jews who recognise Jesus as their Messiah.

2) Now to the question of the Jerusalem Temple.
There have been two Temples in Jerusalem.
a) In 2nd Chronicles 7:17-22 Israel was warned that if its sin reached a certain level the first Temple would be destroyed. Its sin did reach that level and the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, just as predicted.
b) In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel prophesied that a second Temple would be built and that Temple too would be destroyed. It did get built and it was destroyed by Rome, again as prophesied.

According to prophecy, several things regarding Messiah were going to happen prior to the destruction of the second Temple.
a) Haggai 2:6-9 - This prophecy tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be greater than the first. That sounds like a “so what” kind of statement. Build a bigger Temple and you get your greater glory. Problem - the physical structure of the second Temple was pitiful in comparison with the first Temple that was built by Solomon. Yet, this passage tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be GREATER than the first. While the word for glory can sometimes mean “wealth” (was the Temple filled with coins?) for the passage to say - “I” will fill the [second] Temple with glory,” clearly implies the presence of God Himself.

b) Malachi 3:1-5 - This prophecy tells us that prior to the destruction of the second Temple, the Messiah would come to the Temple. “The Lord you are seeking will come to His temple.” The Jews were looking for a human Messiah. However, since the word used for “Lord” always and only refers to God Himself, they COULD have known that Messiah would be God Himself.

c) Daniel 9:24 - This prophecy tells us that before the second Temple is destroyed the Messiah would provide for an everlasting atoning sacrifice for all people. No more temporary sacrifices would need to be offered.

If prophecy is accurate then these things had to happen and in fact they did happen prior to the Temple being destroyed in 70AD.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus 2,000 years ago, religious Jews have had:
NO atonement system,
NO functioning priesthood and
NO functioning Temple.
That is because all of the above found their fulfilment in Jesus. The Jews were expecting Messiah to come and rescue them. He did come, He did provide the means for spiritual rescue (the only kind that’s important), but they did not recognise Him.

Are you getting this?

1. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, the Messiah would come to the second Temple before it was destroyed.
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD.
If Messiah didn’t come to the Temple prior to its destruction then Messiah isn’t coming at all.

2. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, atonement for sins would be made by Messiah prior to the destruction of the second Temple.
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD
If atonement for the sins of the world didn’t take place prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70AD it isn’t going to happen.

But
. One claiming and proving to be the Messiah - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD.
. One providing atonement for sins - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD
. Jesus visitation to the second Temple was the only visitation by Messiah to take place.
. Jesus glory, the very presence of God incarnate, was the only way that the second Temple’s glory was greater than the first.

Because of a prior commitment to a different belief system, you may not like the idea of Jesus being Messiah, but if Jesus isn’t Messiah then nobody is Messiah.

If none of this took place prior to the destruction of the Temple which took place in 70AD then we may as well say that atheists are correct because the prophecies were not fulfilled and it’s all a lie.

However:
All of this did take place in the person of Jesus.
The prophecies were fulfilled.
The Messiah did come right on schedule.
This is not speculation. This is historical fact!
Once again atheists are wrong on all counts.

I’m A Racist

That’s what one Muslim called me. Isn’t that interesting? It makes me want to upload a colour picture of our family. Wendy and I are two specks of white surrounded by a sea of brown. So what makes me a racist?

I post this video of pure Muslims reading from the Qur’an while cutting off the head of a man who left Islam to become a follower of Jesus. Check it out. View Islam at its purest.

http://somalisforjesus.blogspot.com/2009/01/mansur-mohamed-sfj-martyr-of-year-2009.html

Now read the comments after this video. The one’s from Muslims are interesting.
. Some Muslims say this video is a flat out lie because the Qur’an would never tell a Muslim to cut off someone’s head if someone leaves Islam for Christianity. I’ve got a dozen verses handy if you doubt what it says.
. Just as many Muslims say the guy deserves to have his head cut off because Allah says to do so as it’s written plainly in the Qur’an.
. Almost as many Muslims say the video is all the fault of the Jews to make Muslims look bad.

Yet according to this anonymous Muslim commenting on my post, I’m the racist.
===============

I report - Muslim Cleric Choudary said yesterday, “I believe that one day Britain, and indeed every part of the world, will be governed by and under the authority of the Muslims implementing Islamic Law. And it will happen. It may come peacefully. But it may come through a holy war that will see rivers of blood on the streets.”

Because I report what this Muslim leader said, I’m a racist.
=====

I report - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said:

* Speaking at a Tehran conference on the subject of "The World without Zionism": "The establishment of the Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor AGAINST the Islamic world...The skirmishes in the occupied land are part of a war of destiny. The outcome of hundreds of years of war will be defined in Palestinian land...As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map."
* "The fact is that Israel can ultimately not continue its existence."
* "We ask the West to remove what they created sixty years ago and if they do not listen to our recommendations, then the Palestinian nation and other nations will eventually do this for them. Do the removal of Israel before it is too late and save yourself from the fury of regional nations."
* "The real Holocaust is what is happening in Palestine where the Zionists avail themselves of the fairy tale of Holocaust as blackmail and justification for killing children and women and making innocent people homeless."
* "Israel is a rotten, dried tree that will be annihilated in one storm."

Because I report what this Muslim said, I’m the racist.
=====

I mention that Israel has absorbed ten thousand Hammas rockets in five years. Rockets from Muslims designed to kill and destroy Jews.

Because I report this fact, I’m a racist
=====

I mention that Israel is surrounded by 22 nations. 640 times Israel’s land mass. 22 countries who say they cannot live in peace as long as the only Democratic State in the region, Israel, exists.

I report this fact and that makes me the racist
======

I mention that Jews cannot even enter Saudi Arabia as tourists, yet Muslims say that Israel, not it’s Arab neighbours but Israel is the country that discriminates.

Because I report this fact that makes me the racist
=======

I report - “Take not the Jews and Christians for friends ... slay the idolaters [infidels] wherever ye find them. ...Fight against those who believe not in Allah” (Sura 5:51; 9:5,29,41).

Because I report what the Qur’an says about Jews and Christians and those who don’t believe in Islam - I’m the racist.
===========

I report - The Qur’an refers to Christians and Jews as “apes”, “pigs”, “dogs” and “worse than cattle”. (Surahs [chapters 2:64; 5:59-60; 7:159-166; 7:176; 25:44.) This according to what Muslims regard as the word of Allah as revealed to Muhammad.

Because I say how the Qur’an describes Jews and Christians, that makes me a racist.
===========

I report - The Qur'an expends 60% of its content on non Muslims. How to kill them, how to never befriend them, and how the muslim must never be in an inferior position to them, etc, etc.

Yet, I’m the racist.
==========

I report - “The unbelievers are your sworn enemies . . . Seek out your enemies relentlessly . . . . Allah does not love the sinful.” (Dawood, Koran, pp. 367-68.)

I report what the Muslim holy book says and that makes me a racist.
============

Germans killed Jews by the millions, yet we have not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant. Christians supported Hitler and Martin Luther himself wrote about how we should burn down Synagogues, yet we have not seen a single Jew destroy a Church. We have not seen a single Jew strap on an explosive belt and protest injustice by killing those standing around him. Who does these things almost on a daily basis? Almost exclusively believers in Islam. Muslims destroy Buddhist statues that have stood for centuries but has one Buddhist killed Muslims because of it? Only Muslims defend their beliefs by burning Churches and killing those of other beliefs and bombing embassies. Only Muslims raise their children in the hopes that they will become suicide bombers.

Yet I am the racist for reporting this.

Well, whatever.

“The clash that we are witnessing around the world is not a clash of religions, or a clash of civilizations. It is a clash between two opposites, between two eras. It is a clash between a mentality that belongs in the Middle Ages, and another mentality that belongs to the 21st century. It is a clash between civilization and backwardness, between the civilized and the primitive, between rationality and barbarity. It is a clash between freedom and oppression, between democracy and dictatorship. It is a clash between human rights on the one hand, and a violation of these rights on the other. It is a clash between those who treat women like human beings and those who treat women like beasts. It was Mohammed who said, “I was ordered to fight the people until they believe in Allah.” When Muslims divided people into Muslims and non Muslims, and swore themselves to fight others until the others believe what the Muslims believe, they started this war, they started this clash.”
==========

President Obama tells us about all the points of commonality Christianity has with Islam. Before I choke on this let me give one example of dissimilarity that outweighs all points in common put together.

In the Bible we have the well known account of Jesus being confronted with a “woman caught in adultery.” The man with whom she was doing the deed was of course no where in the picture. Jesus’ famous line, “Let him who has no sin cast the first stone,” is accompanied by His grace and mercy as He said to the woman, perhaps a prostitute, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

The Qur’an tells a similar story that involved Mohammed. A pregnant adulterous woman had come to him requesting that he pray with her for forgiveness.
. Mohammed sent her away until the baby was born.
. She came back months later and he sent her away until the child was weened.
. When she came back this time Mohammed took the child and gave it to one of his men as a gift (the paedophile Mohammed giving the gift of a girl child to another paedophile).
. Mohammed then ordered the mother buried up to her shoulders and stoned to death.

THAT is the difference between Christianity and Islam.

Some will deny that this account is even in the Qur’an. We don’t need that vile book for evidence for, just like the first entry in this post, we have present day news accounts of pure Muslims carrying out the directions of their horrid master Allah.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) – A 13-year-old girl who said she had been raped by three men was stoned to death in Somalia after being accused of adultery by Islamic followers. Dozens of men stoned Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow to death Oct. 27 in a stadium packed with 1,000 Muslim spectators in the southern port city of Kismayo.
===============

If refusing to suck up to this barbarous religion makes me a racist, then that’s what I am.

Don’t be a Martin Luther

Any counsellor will be able to point to those clients, FUBAR’s to a person, who are impervious to change. No amount of genius on the part of the counsellor, no amount of compassion and caring, no clever turn of a phrase or the “implanting of insight” is enough to bring about healing and resolution. It can be tempting at this point to turn on the client, to reject h/her, to blame and walk away from the relationship.

This of course only happens when the counsellor has lost the big picture; when s/he has lost perspective on h/her own place in the scheme of things.

The same thing happened to Martin Luther.

Shortly after setting a course correction (leaving the Roman Catholic Church) Martin Luther turned his energy on bringing the gospel to the Jews. Certain that the freedom to be had in Christ would be grabbed at by anyone who hears the message, Luther was eager to point the way to salvation. When they rejected what had become HIS message, rather than the message owned and dispensed by Jesus at His discretion, Luther turned on the Jews in such a way that even Hitler was able to use Luther’s writings as a pattern for the Jew’s destruction.

“If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for, in detail, and ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully the thing I want to life for. Between these two answers you can determine the identity of any person. The better answer he has, the more of a person he is.”
Thomas Merton

“What am I living for?” “What keeps my from being fully alive as I seek that goal?”

These are big picture questions. Like all of us from time to time, Martin Luther lost sight of the big picture. Rather than being a player in the big picture story, Martin began to see himself AS the story.

Don’t be a Martin Luther.

Do You Only Have Hate?

That’s how I sometimes feel when I read comments about some person who’s gone to jail or whose family split or who died / suicide. Some fashion designer recently hung himself and my goodness, the mean and trashy comments were something to listen too. His family is not the first, of course, to hear such insensitivity.

“Come down from the cross if you’re the Son of God.”

“If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

Exactly what kind of people mock and insult someone who is dying? What kind of people try to hurt more, those who are already maxed out on hurt?

And then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t have a clue what they are doing.”

That is the kind of people who hurt the hurting. Those who don’t have a clue. The love of many has indeed grown cold and because of that, they don’t have a clue.