We often speak of the Seven Sayings from the Cross. Each of these sayings is very significant! However, forgiveness is woven into the first two sayings from the cross. The first saying is this prayer of Jesus: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
In the second saying, Jesus practiced forgiveness by answering the prayer of that dying thief, as he said, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." The message of forgiveness is spoken in the words of Jesus, and demonstrated by the action of Jesus as he included a dying sinner in a godly paradise.
Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship tells the story of Randy Woomer, born in 1954, and grew up in West Virginia without the presence of his real father. Bored with life, drugs became a part it, dropped out of school in Grade 9, sent to reform school, by age 19 he was in state prison for stealing, and he lost his name and became a number.
Rusty hung around men 10 to 15 years older than himself, looking for the father he didn't have. In the late 1970s Rusty and Skaar were involved in armed robberies, and in their last robbery they murdered a man and a woman. As police closed in on them, Skaar shot himself, and drugged-out Rusty was taken into custody, and confessed to the murders. Finally, on Friday, April 27, 1990 Rusty died by electrocution.
But I am ahead of my story. One day, while waiting on death row, Rusty was dramatically converted to Christ. Thereafter, Rusty had no hesitation in accepting responsibility for his horrible crimes. He wept over the pain he had caused others. He wrote letters to the families of his victims, asking their forgiveness, and he was not surprised when he did not receive it.
By early 1989, Rusty had been on death row for 10 years and his appeals had run out. Rusty's final journey to the electric chair was just a matter of time. During the summer of 1989 a letter made its way through prison security checks to Rusty's cell. It was from Lee Hewitt, the younger brother of the woman that Rusty had murdered.
Lee wrote: "For years I hated you with all my heart. I only regretted you were in prison where I couldn't get to you. But I've spent time in jail myself - many, many times over the years. But then I became a Christian. The more I learned of Christ, the more I knew I had to forgive you. I didn't want to. But it got so bad, that I couldn't even pray the Lord's prayer - 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.'
"It made me so mad - now I had to forgive you. Now the ball was in my court. I've prayed about it, and God has done a miracle in my heart. I forgive you. We are brothers in Christ. I love you!"
Then another miracle, on Easter Sunday, April 15, 1990, just 12 days prior to Rusty's appointment with the electric chair, a bright basket filled with chocolates, candies, and cookies arrived for Rusty from Lee and Barbara Hewitt. Before that week was over the Hewitts were granted permission to see Rusty.
As they came together in a prison conference room, Lee and Rusty exchanged book gifts. Then Rusty turned to Lee, his voice thick with tears, but his blue eyes shining. "Your forgiving me has done more for me than anybody's ever done. I know I've done these things. Even with God's forgiveness, and the forgiveness of other people...I've never gotten the hurt out of my heart. When I got that letter from you, I can't explain how I felt. I'm not sure I could have done what you did for me in writing that letter of forgiveness."
Lee responded: "I can do nothing without Jesus. I see him hanging on that cross, saying, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.'"
Forgiveness is words, but it is more than words, forgiven is an action.
Time was up. It was up as three people prayed together as forgiven sinners. But on Friday, April 27, 1990, time was up, and eternity in heaven began for Rusty Woomer.
Where would you be, if your time was up?
