“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” (Luke 23:42)
There was no earthly reason for Jesus to remember the thief on the cross next to Him. And there’s no earthly reason why Jesus ought to remember us. But He does — not because of what we do or say and avoid doing or saying. He remembers us because of His grace and mercy.
One thief recognized that grace. A spark of faith led him to cry out with his request. But that confession of faith was all he needed to make. He had nothing to present to God as an offering to impress or influence Him. He couldn’t make an appeal to Jesus based on his track record. His life was riddled with violations of the law of the land, and he was an offence to God’s moral law. There was nothing within him that would have made a scrap of difference to the fact that he deserved all that was coming his way.
All he could do was cry out for help. “Lord, have mercy. Lord, help me. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He acknowledged Jesus as the one who could rescue him — and this confession of faith was all that was needed.
We’re no different. We may pride ourselves on our good behavior; we may be law-abiding citizens; we may be generous in our support of charitable organizations; we may be actively involved in our congregation’s ministry. But those things have never been — and will never be — our ticket to heaven. There’s only one way to heaven: Acknowledge our sinfulness and confess Jesus as our Savior from sin.
There’s no rational explanation for why God deals with latecomers and desperate seekers of His mercy with such kindness. There’s no human justification for Jesus to share His kingdom with criminals. There’s no reason why even those who despise God and reject Him are still loved by Him.
The only answer — and it’s beyond our comprehension — is that God’s grace and Christ’s love are so great that they defy our efforts to understand them.
Prayer
Lord, I am in such need of Your mercy and grace, for I am a sinful human being who is unworthy to be in Your presence. Be merciful to me, Lord God, and forgive my sins, and let me live my life, in faith, as You would lead. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
