Then he kneeled down and shouted out, “Lord! Don’t hold this sin against them!” With that, he died;
It has been said that only those who have been wronged can offer forgiveness. It has been said that forgiveness can only be granted after the offender asks for it from the injured person. Stephen echoes Messiah’s words from Luke 23:34 in asking the Father to forgive those murdering him. How is that possible? What does that mean. The passage in Acts says that Stephen was filled with the Spirit at that time. I wonder who that was for. Was Messiah absolving the people responsible for his death even before they asked for forgiveness? Was Stephen? Was that for their benefit? Is that an example for us? Is this about “owning” what happens and less about the offender? How much strength does it take to offer forgiveness to an offender in the moment? How would wielding that strength change you?
