Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42,43)
The thief on the cross recognized the deeservedness of his punishment. He didn't shy away from it. We would do well to consider this thief's desperation, which opened his heart to true revelation about the crucified Christ beside him. He recognized the suffering King and that, even though the world's system had condemned Jesus, His Kingdom would never fail to advance.
As the thief's speech to his fellow criminal shows, repentance requires radical honesty. It demands transparency and a recognition of our shortcomings. So often, however, we find ourselves and others so willing to sweep the truth under the rug to protect our reputations or to skew others' perceptions.
The thief is our brother, and, like him, we all deserve his fate. The perfection and holiness of God demands it.
In my walk with Christ, I have never felt so free as those moments in which I stood completely vulnerable before the throne of grace. I stood completely exposed, honest and open about my sin, but completely loved and sheltered by God's all-sufficient grace. Tears of sorrow for sin intermingled freely with tears of joy for forgiveness. Have you ever experienced this mix of emotions?
May we identify with the thief in his honest repentance so that we may receive a clear and full revelation of our King Jesus and the inexorable power of His Kingdom.
Lord Jesus, thank You for making the Kingdom a reality through Your radical sacrifice. Give us clear eyes to see You as You truly are. Help us to have a right perspective towards our sin. Bring us into a closer relationship with You as we recognize our shortcomings and desperate need for You. Spark a hunger and thirst for You. In Your Name, we pray. Amen.
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