The Bullet of Forgiveness: The Dying Thief
“But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’…" Luke 23:34
Let us all recognize with proper sobriety and humility that we, too, “don’t know what we are really doing”! We squander our resources, abuse our privileges, exalt the trivial, chase the easy, hurt others, diminish our communities, destroy our own self-worth and wound God’s heart. We are ALL fools! But in the horrible reality of our dense blindness, the Lord Jesus shows us the Father’s Heart! He promises to connect us to Himself by forgiving us!
These three words … Father, Forgive and Fools … contain the essence of all the issues that will ever concern each one of us while we walk the earth! To understand and respond to those three concepts with a full and eager heart will open the door to your highest possibilities as a human being. “Put” these three realities into your daily life God’s way and your discipleship will soar! It is then that only Christ will matter. Only then will His desires be your desires. Only then will you live among people as a reflector and agent of Messiah Love! Only then will you taste, drink and eat of the food that is from heaven … Jesus (John 6:26-40). Only when the Savior matters most to you will anything and everything else matter as it should.
To begin and continue this wondrous process is reserved for the one who lives with a passion and obsession to yield more of self to the Lord Jesus. To begin our journey we must say to Him … as did that wise criminal hanging with Him … “Lord, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” The confessing thief comprehended that he and the other crucified criminal were fools. He comprehended Jesus could talk to God as His Father. He comprehended the possibility that he could be forgiven! This repentant, crucified man didn’t know much but he did know enough! Once we comprehend the “God meaning” of these three words … Father, Forgive and Fools … we begin to comprehend life in all of its complexities and mysteries.
“Lord, remember me” … is a prayer the wise Disciple has often in the heart and on the lips!
“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” Luke 23:42
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