Charles Spurgeon Commentary Luke 23:34

"And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And parting his garments among them, they cast lots." — Luke 23:34 (ASV)

And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding.

The gambling soldiers little dreamed that they were fulfilling Scriptures while they were raffling for the clothing of the illustrious Sufferer on the cross; yet so it was. In Psalm 22, which so fully sets forth our Saviour's sufferings, and which He probably repeated while He hung on the tree, David wrote, They parted my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

And the people stood beholding, gazing, looking on the cruel spectacle. You and I would not have done that; there is a public sentiment which has trained us to hate the sight of cruelty, especially of deadly cruelty to one of our own race; but these people thought that they did no harm when they stood beholding. They also were thus fulfilling the Scriptures; for Psalm 22:17 says, They look and stare upon me.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

How startled they must have been to hear such words from one who was about to be put to death for a supposed crime! The men who drove the nails, the men who lifted up the tree, must have been started back with amazement when they heard Jesus talk to God as His Father, and pray for them: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Did any Roman legionary ever hear such words before? I should say not. They were so distinctly and diametrically opposed to the whole spirit of Rome.

It was blow for blow; only in the case of Jesus, they gave blows where none had been received. The crushing cruelty of the Roman must have been startled indeed at such words as these: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Then said Jesus,

As they crucify him.

And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

His garments were the executioners' perquisites; pitilessly they took them from him, and left him naked in his shameful sorrow.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

It was all that He could say in their favor, and He did say that. If there is anything to be said in your favor, O my fellow-sinner, Christ will say it; and if there is nothing good in you that His eyes can light upon, He will pray on His own account, "Father, forgive them for My sake."