The Man had Jesus – by Toni Babcock
"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom," (Luke 23:42 KJV).
The thief didn't have a prayer to stand on. He had no power, no redeeming goodness, and no time to fix anything. Blackness was closing in. Eternal loss was waiting, just over the thin line that separates all men from eternity. Hanging on a cross, disjointed in his torment, the thief had nothing. But God provided the One thing needful; the man had Jesus. He had the Son of God hanging on a Roman cross beside him; this man upon whose every word would hang his faltering hope.
The thief's faith was weak, barely perceptible. He didn't ask the Lord to save his soul. He only asked, "Lord, remember me." Those once thieving hands were now stretched out in full surrender; whether they be blessed or damned was up to God.
Amid the the cruel fate that lay before him, the thief began to realize he was strangely blessed. He had Jesus! There, nailed to a cross beside him was the Son of God. He began to feel the convicting power of Christ crucified, "the just for the unjust" (1 Peter 3:18 KJV). He began to trust in the power of Jesus who revealed God is gracious, God is merciful, and God is kind.
But would God forgive? The thief was about to find out. There, beneath a blood-stained crown of thorns Jesus spoke to his inmost heart. "Verily I say unto thee; today shalt thou be with me in paradise," (Luke 23:43 KJV). What an awesome God! What a glorious Savior!
Toni M. Babcock, author and member of Faithwriters.com. Contact
