This is the second Sunday in Lent and our 2nd week studying the 7 last words of Christ. We are examining the last things he said while on the cross at Calvary. And we are seeking to understand what they mean for us and our understanding of the cross, as well as in our faith walk.
Last week we heard the 1st saying from the Gospel of Luke. “Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they do.” We saw how central forgiveness is for us. We say how Christ asks God to forgive us even as we sin. We saw how forgiveness is offered firsts, before we repent, before we confess, Christ offers us forgiveness. His first action on the cross was to pray for us, the sinners, so that we might be forgiven. We also saw that as part of our discipleship, as part of our attempt to follow him, and walk in his ways, we are called to forgive others as we have been forgiven.
Today, we will look at the 2nd word—the word we hear from the gospels of Matthew and mark. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” To understand any of the last sayings, we have to see Jesus on the cross—we have to imagine the scene at Calvary and this passage helps us to do that. Today, we will hear from a woman, a passerby, he remembers that day, those events, only too well.
There were 3 crosses, 3 criminals hanging from them. They are all 3 battered, bruised and bleeding. They have all 3 endured incredible abuse by the soldiers, that’s how they liked to do it, the bloodier the better by their standards—it wouldn’t work as a “deterrent to future crime” if it didn’t look absolutely awful. Normally, they would each have to carry their own crosses, though the one they hung in the middle, for whatever reason, a different man was carrying his cross. They hung their, battered and hurting just from the beating. And then they hammered those awful nails into their wrists and the one into their ankles. The sight of it made me want to wretch. I can’t even imagine how painful it all is. You’re so tired already and then you have your arms spread out like an eagle and it gets harder and harder to breathe. I hate the crucifixions. I try to avoid them if I can, but the Romans insist on doing them on the main roads and when you have to go that way, you have to pass them.
I don’t think I would have noticed any real difference between the three men, except the one in the middle seemed to be the center of attention. He was wearing a crown of thorns and they had an old board above his head that said “King of the Jews.” Though I thought, “He can’t possibly be a king. There’s no way they would get away with this if he were!” I don’t know what he did, but it must have been awful. The crowd was outraged at him. They were ruthless—hurling insults at him. Angry as wet hornets. It seemed awfully spiteful since he was clearly powerless hanging on that cross. But they kept telling him to save himself. He looked so pitiful. Bloody and broken. You could tell it wasn’t just his body—his heart seemed broken too. It seemed like no one would show him even the smallest kindness. Even one of the other guys hanging there started in on him, “Save yourself and us!”
I’m not sure if he was as angry and mean as the others or if he was just desperate. I think I might have asked the same. I’m pretty sure I’d feel desperate hanging there in agonizing pain. I’d want someone to save me too.
Never once did the man with the crown defend himself. He didn’t beg for mercy. He didn’t argue with them. He didn’t even get angry and tell them to “shut up”.
But then the other man, the third man, he spoke up. It was the firsts courageous thing anyone did all day. He got after the other guy—the one on the other side. He said, “aren’t you even afraid of God? We’re not in any better shape hanging here and you have the audacity to mock him?!? How dare you. We’re at least getting what we deserve. We’re guilty. But this guy, he’s not.”
It was amazing. Not one person was willing to stand up for this supposed king, except for the murderer hanging on the cross. And in that moment—something shifted for me. Being an outsider I didn’t know any of these people. I didn’t know the Jews even had a king. The only king I knew was Cesar. I couldn’t figure out what a king would have to do to be hung like this. I mean, if you’ve never seen one, a crucifixion is awful. It’s gotta be the worst way to die. Never mind, of course you’ve seen one, we’ve all seen one around here. They happen all the time. Anyway, like I was saying, something happened. Remember the 3rd guy said the king guy was innocent. He hadn’t done anything wrong. And then the 3rd man turned to the king and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus. His name was Jesus. I don’t know that I can explain the power of that moment—but it was special—sacred even. “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” I’m not really sure what kingdom he meant. I mean, kings rule here on earth—while they are alive, not in death. I thought maybe the third gugy was hallucinating—you know with all the pain. But then Jesus responded. He said, “today you will be with me in paradise. There was clearly something I did not understand,.
Today you will be with me in paradise.
Today.
In paradise.
He had to mean there was something after death. I mean they were both dying there. There’s no surviving the cross. But Jesus said, “today you will be with me in paradise.” If Jesus was right, there has to be an afterelife. There has to be something more. And it’s called Paradise. I don’t know what you know about Paradise, but what I know is it’s amazing. Paradise is the king’s garden and it’s gorgeous.
Flowers.
Trees.
Waterfalls.
Animals. Beautiful exotic animals
Giraffes. Elephants. Peacocks. Horses.
I even heard about one garaden that had a lion. Can you imagine?!?
I was sort of dumbstruck. It seemed like maybe this Jesus guy was a king. And obviously his kingdom came after death. I don’t really understand that but he said, ‘today you will be with me in paradise.” That must mean if we ask him to remember us, he will and we will get to join him in paradise. He will be our king and we get to go to his amazing gardens.
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