Ignoring that feeling

Jesus, when I realize I'm being hurtful, help me stop! Amen.

The people who hated Jesus said He was starting a war, so Jesus was arrested and brought to their rulers, Pilate and Herod. Both found Him "not guilty," but the people begged until Pilate let them take Jesus away to be killed. As He walked up the hill to be crucified, Jesus' followers cried because He was going to die, and even a thief crucified with Jesus said He was innocent. But a few hours later, Jesus cried, "Father, I put my spirit into your hands," and died. And then the people said, "This man did nothing wrong."

Every kid in the world has probably done something that they pretended was okay, even when they knew deep down that it wasn't. Maybe you teased someone at school and told yourself, "It's a joke! She'll get over it."

Maybe you lied because you knew you'd get in trouble if you admitted the truth about something.

Whatever your mistake was, you told yourself you were right -- and ignored the feeling in your stomach that you were very wrong.

This week's Gospel (Luke 23:1-49) is about people who told themselves they were doing the right thing, but their decision cost Jesus His life. They were people who didn't like Jesus' teachings and even felt scared that He was breaking some unfair laws.

Those people were so worried that Jesus would ruin their country, they decided that He should be killed. Some of them even realized it wasn't right to kill Jesus, but they let it happen anyway.

When you've already done something you knew was wrong, it's too late to take it back. You can apologize, but the hurt doesn't just disappear. For Jesus, it wasn't until after He died on the cross that people admitted they knew they shouldn't have hurt Him.

The people who had Jesus killed ignored the feeling that they were making a mistake, but you don't have to. If you think you're doing something hurtful, you can stop -- before it's too late to take back the hurt!