It’s Not Fair

(This was sent to me in an email. I took some creative authorship with this story. But the meaning remains as does the importance of having Jesus in your life.)

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him. His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. Then, his mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment, frustration, and unforgiveness.

As he stood searching for answers, feeling as though he had been wronged, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the One he knew would always be there.

With tears in his eyes, the man prayed: "Lord, You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for You, and I obeyed. Today, You have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord. I cannot forgive. I don't know how. It's not fair.

I didn't deserve the wrongs that were done to me. Why should I have to forgive. Your way is perfect, Lord. But I, imperfect as I am, do not know how to forgive. My anger is deep, Lord and I fear I may not hear You. But I pray, show me the way... teach me to forgive."

As the man knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see something red on his shirt. He could not see from where it fell until he looked to where the oak tree had been. Now he saw a large square piece of wood in the ground where the oak once stood.

As the man raised his head he saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through the center. He raised his head even more, holding back a swell of tears as he saw a man hanging on a cross. He knew this vision was of Jesus as he viewed the spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, and deep thorns sunk into His head.

Alas, the man witnessed the suffering and pain on the face of Jesus. Their eyes met, the man could not hold back the tears as his heart knew all too well the vision he witnessed before him.

The man heard in his heart and mind many questions:
Have you ever told a lie?
Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?
Have you ever taken something that wasn't yours?
Have you ever cursed, using my Father's name in vain?

The questions lingered on as the man hung his head knowing that with each question asked, he knew of his guilt with each. The man's tears flowed freely from his swollen eyes.

As the man felt the familiar feeling on his shoulder once again, he looked up at the face of Jesus. There was a look of love the man had never seen or known before as his eyes met those of the Messiah. As the look Messaiah pierced the man's soul he again heard in his heart and mind, as clear as the spoken word:

"I didn't deserve this either. But I forgive you."



When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you! If we received what was fair or what we deserved, we would all be going to hell. But Jesus chose to die for our sins once, for all. He was the spotless lamb that took the sin of the world then, now and in the future, upon Himself.

I guess when I think about how rough things are or how I was wronged, cheated or robbed. I think about how Jesus gave up His throne to come to earth and die a death he did not deserve. He did not do it out of obligation but out of love for me and for you.

John 3:16-17 says, For God so loved the world that He GAVE His one and only son. That whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn it But that THROUGH Him the world might be saved.

Accepting what Jesus did for you and allowing yourself to receive His love and forgiveness will set a place for you in heaven. But it will also help you to begin to forgive the wrongs done against you. Will you still feel the hurt from the wrongs? Probably. Will you remember the wrongs? Probably. But you can choose to forgive and the hurt and the memory becomes less significant and less of a burden.