The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 23:43,
"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
These are the words Jesus spoke to one of the criminals that were
crucified with him. This man asked Jesus to remember him when he came
into his kingdom. Although a criminal and dying a criminal's death, he
embraced Jesus in faith as he hung on his own cross, punishment for
his own criminal behavior. Jesus assured him of his salvation: he
would be with him in paradise that very day.
We often think in terms of good behavior as that which brings us God's
favor. In life, where we are free to make our own choices, those who
choose to do good, early and often, are the ones considered to be more
worthy of God's kingdom. However, this account doesn't quite support
that outlook. This is a man who is a criminal and is now suffering a
criminal's death. How is it he is promised a place in paradise with
the Lord?
In a revealing passage, Jesus told Nicodemus, "This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that
it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through
God." John 3:19-21. Note here that Jesus taught that some refuse to
come into the light because they cling to their evil deeds. It isn't
they refuse to do good because they cling to evil, it is that they
refuse to embrace the Lord in faith because they cling to evil. Jesus'
statement here to Nicodemus is in the context where Jesus is
explaining to him that salvation is by faith, by belief, "whoever
believes in him shall not perish" John 3:16.
The issue is that evil keeps us from faith. Faith brings salvation, it
brings us into God's kingdom, into paradise, it provides us a place at
his table. It is evil that keeps us from embracing the Lord in faith.
This is why a criminal, at the end of his life, undergoing capital
punishment inherits eternal life, while all of the good and moral
chief priests, teachers of the law and leaders of the people who are
looking on, are hell-bound. He exercised his will to embrace the Lord
in faith as he hung on his cross.
I love this account of the criminal who is promised a place in the
Lord's kingdom. It tells me there is hope - hope for even me. If any
opportunity I had for eternal life lay in how good I lived my life,
that hope wouldn't be there. You would all have to get along without
me in the resurrection. However, because I choose to embrace the Lord
in faith (and not because I have always behaved myself) you will all
have to put up with me for an eternity!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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