Guilty of Despicable Behaviors-A Lost Cause

Prompt: Write a story abut someone seeking forgiveness for something.

Guilty of Despicable Behaviors-A Lost Cause

The clanking of my chains was loud as I entered the room. Menacing eyes looked me over as I scuffled across the floor to the front of the room. My body labored under the weight of my restraints. A chain around my waist stole my freedom. Both my hands and ankles were shackled by the heavy leg irons that were chained around my mid-section. I felt strong hands stop my motion going forward. Then those hands pushed my shoulders downward forcing me into a chair at a table. For a moment my mind drifted away in deep thought to another place. No sooner had I been seated, those same hands pulled on my chains to lift me up as a man clothed in a dark robe entered facing me.

The robed man motioned to the gallery of witnesses to take their seats. Again, I was pushed back into my chair by those hands. Instantly, my mind drifted further away this time. Through my fogginess, I saw a small placard in front of the robed man declaring his status.It read, “The Honorable Joseph Caiaphas, Magistrate.” I knew of this man. He was revered and considered to be a pillar of the community. He was respected for his judicial fairness always upholding the letter of the religious and public law. But there would be no testimony today. My trial had already occurred earlier and my verdict had been declared. Soon I would know my punishment from this defender of decency and impartiality.

But this righteous judge deemed it necessary to recount my despicable behaviors to the gallery. Condescendingly, the judge said, “You are a bane to everything decent and holy in our society. You live your life as a parasite, sucking the life blood of good and righteous people by your thievery. You covet what you cannot have. You are a purveyor of lies as there is no truth inside you. You create scandal causing others to live in shame because of your lies.”

His tongue lashings continued on. “When you do not get your way, you resort to brutality and murder. Many citizens have been affected by your wickedness. Your family has disowned you. Your friends are nothing but thieves and murderers like you. Look out the window and see one of your co-conspirators. He dangles helpless on a tree. By the ruling authorities of this land, I have been given the power to condemn you. Soon you will join him and feel the judgement of the court upon you. God’s wrath will be measured upon you for your insolent, evil, and diabolical ways.”

Slowly, I looked out the window and saw a man hanging from a tree. There was a squad of soldiers lounging and even laughing nearby. Then I recognized my accomplice. He too, was being hoisted upon a tree. I knew then what my fate would be. I began to plead in front of the Magistrate. But he continued in his tirade of describing my wretchedness. He said, “You are pathetic! Our society will be better off when the likes of you are purged from our midst! You have no value to anyone. You are worthless even to yourself.”

Ashamedly, I said, “Yes, there is no good within me. I have failed at life. I sought out ways to get what I needed, and what I wanted. I believed that wealth would bring me happiness; I believed I was owed things because no one would share them with me. Your honorable Magistrate, you are correct in what you have said. But have mercy on me! I beg for your compassion. I beg for your mercy! Please reconsider my case. I ask for forgiveness of my incredible debt.”

Mockingly, the judge responded, “You expect me to forgive you? How dare you ask me for such a request! You are a lost cause. There is no one in this room; there is no one in this community who would forgive you for what you have done. Cheater, liar, slanderer, adulterer, conniver, extortionist, manipulator, rapist, embezzler, arsonist, and murderer! It does not matter. No one will save you from your wretchedness! Your verdict condemns you. Guilty!Your penalty is death. Take him to his tree to suffer in agony. Let the worms and birds of the air feast on his withered body.”

There was no strength left in me to resist the soldiers. They bound me to my tree next to another prisoner in the middle. My co-conspirator, hanging on the opposite side of the man, abusively yelled at the man in the middle “are you not the Christ, the Son of God?Save yourself and us!” He continued to hurl more insults at Him. “Surely, you can come down off that tree. You healed people. You even raised others from the dead. But now you cannot even save yourself.” (1)

In a feeble voice I said, “Do you not fear God since you and I are under the same judgement? We deserve this punishment given to us.This man, however has done nothing to deserve this. (1) We are the lost cause; hopeless and incorrigible; beyond redemption.”

Jesus’ breathing was labored when I asked, “Jesus, my life did not honor God. Please remember me when You come into your kingdom.

He moved His blood-streaked face to look at me in the eyes. He said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

I was startled by the guard poking his night stick into my side. The pain disrupted my brain fog and brought me back into the reality of the courtroom. The judge read the decision of the appeals board. My appeal to the governor had failed. No commuting of my sentence. There would be no forgiveness, no repeal or reduction in my sentence. I would remain on death row waiting for the day of my execution. There would be no hope and no forgiveness from anyone and certainly not from the relatives of people I transgressed in my life as a serial murderer.

Nonetheless, my eternal forgiveness would come from my faith because I believed in the blood-soaked tree and empty tomb Jesus had occupied. I feel He was speaking directly to me that day He died 2000 years ago.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (romans 8:1, NIV)

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12 NIV)

NIV=New International Version

Paraphrasing from Luke 29: 39-43

Author: Pete Gautchier

Acknowledgement: Reedsy.com Prompts