Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-06
HATEFUL HEARTS HINDER
FORGIVENESS FOR FOES
Rev. o. A. Saucr Declares Re.
dccmcr Lived This Truth
Through Life.
HARD TO HEED his ADMoNrTuoN
Pastor Snys should Humble selves In
Dust Of Hcpcntnnrc. Asking Cod to
Hrrnk Stubhnrn WIN. md Make u
McrcifuI nnd ForgI,Inu.

Rev. .. y. Saucr. pastor OF Betn-
ich"m Evangelical Lutheran Church.
preached last night ON tho dying Re-
d"crner's first words from the cross
Father forgive then. for they know
not what they do
He declared the interpretation ~
this message. an in,crcossion by tho
Rcdc"mer for Ills enemies and also
an admonltion for Ills friends Rev.
Sauer said. IN part:
Not only hy dircc, command did tho
Savior teach us 20 love our enemies.
hut iIo actually lived out this truth
throughout His entire life, even in
those awful moments Of agony on the
cross. when all the shame and tor
tnrc tina, hcar,lcss sinners could in
vent was hcapcd upon Him.
Hard 10 Heed Admonitlon.
Fu, alas the admonition TO love our
enemies is hard to heed. because our
hearts arc SO sinful and hard and
hateful by nature. Yet this lesson
can b" learned The dying Rcdccmer
showed us by Ills example that Il is
for man TO attain. but 1t is an actual
possibility. II can be learned. but
only when Ills grace has conquered
and melted and won our hard hearts.
u Was OF Him that stephen tho
MARTYR. learned IL, when. even amid
the raining rocks, his dying breath
vet spent Itself in the prayer: Lord.
lay no, this sin I" their charge"
II was from tho cruciicd savior
that John Huss learned the lesson.
when. even amid his shroud OF
flames while burning at the stake.
his departing spirit Easped prayer
for his eNccutioncrS. Yes. II was 81
Jesus that thousands Of others have
learned this lesson. and YOU and I
can learn II too.
OH that this sublime example OF
our dying savior might he indelihly
impressed upon our hearts. Alas
how prone We arc when some ono Of
tends or sights or wrongs us. to car
ry the memory of IL in our hearts
and TO brood over IL and to plot re-
Ncnre. How ready we arc to repay
evil for evil. blow for blow. and how
slow we are To forgive and forget!
Many Hold GrudEcs.
Alas, how often even church mem
heis. who profess To be followers OF
the Savior slain. carry in their hearts
81 ErudGc against those who have
wronEcd them. stand on their
naughty dignity, and refuse to 60
half way, or more than half way, 10
be reconcilcd. oh. for shame that
our hearts arc often SO full of bitter
ness and malice. Is that the spiri,
Of Christ. who prayed for all those
who abused, tortured and Crucii'cd
Him: Father. forgive them. for they
know not what they do?
How can we expect God 10 forgive
US our thousands Of trcspass
against Him. II we are not READY
from our hearts to forgive our broth
81 his few little trcspasscs against
us? Did not our Savior teach us to
pray in the Lords Prayer. Forgive
those who trcspass against us? Con :
slider what dangerous request We
there make of God; we ask Him to
deal with us and our sins just AS We
deal with others.
should Humble selves.
Let us then humble ourselves in
the dust Of repentance. and ask God
To break our proud hearts and stub
born wills. and to make us more mer-
ciful and forGivine. Let us make an
honest effort, with the aid of the Holy
Spirit. to Danish from our hearts
all hatred and malice and refrain
from all acts OF resentment and re-
vcnge. In this way we shall prove
before the tribunal OF our conscience
! that our faith. by which alone We
are saved, is true and genuine. and
that we are true children OF our
| Father in heaven and true followers
Of our divine Lord