This is Monday of Holy Week. Today we arrive at the 11th Station of the Cross where Jesus promises His Kingdom to one of the thieves next to him while hanging on the cross.
Scripture Reading: "Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Luke 23: 39-43
The thief who selfishly sought his physical salvation stands in contrast to the thief who both understood his sin and guilt, as well as understood Jesus' ultimate end - not in death, but in paradise.
Two things stand out to me in at this station, as well as in the reading. First, I read Psalm 51, but then chose to read it again, slowly, personally, in a first person voice. It's an exercise in confession, in not denying sin, and in realizing the weight of my sin before my Holy God..."against you and alone alone God have I sinned, and done evil in your sight."
It's an exercise I need to conscientiously enter into - intentionally I might add. It's like a shower after working out in the dirt and grease, it feels great to simply wash things clean..."purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow."
Confession, someone said, is good for the soul. I agree. It brings about a realization that Jesus' death is real, it was for my sin that he died, and to ignore the reality of my sin is to ignore the reality of his death.
The second thing at this station today is the words, "today you shall be with me in paradise." As a Christian I have always understood the words as the promise - stated by the Apostle Paul - "that when we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord." Again, I love that, and don't dispute that at all. What hit me is the word, "paradise". What I realize is that terrorism has rendered that word both mythical and in some ways, as nonsense. Religious fundamentalism in Islam has meant young men will strap bombs to their torso and blow themselves up in the name of their god, because of the promise of ending up in "paradise" - a place of luxury, beauty, and virgins waiting. I scoff at such nonsense...but do I then scoff of paradise?
The word that Jesus uses is translated in greek as "paradeisos" - in otherwords, it's a transliteration, the English is essentially an equivalent of the greek word...it's rendering the word in English in its natural form, simply because there is no word in English that expresses well what it might mean. The word "paradeisos" only appears 3 times in the New Testament greek. Originally it is implied in creation in the garden of Eden, and it ends in Revelation. To the first of the seven churches in Revelation,
7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.' Revelation 2:7 (NASB)
Around 1600, Jan Brueghel (the Elder), a dutch artist rendered the biblical idea of paradise in a beautiful painting.
This is a long blog, and it I don't want to take away from the first part of it, that through confession we honor the death of Christ for us; but I also want to meditate on this beautiful word, "paradise", and let the beauty of Jesus' word to the thief bear the weight of forgiveness, promise, hope, that it was meant to convey.
A Prayer:
"Father of mercy and grace, Jesus Son of God, redeemer and friend, to you belongs worship and adoration. It is through your suffering that I become a partaker of the glory of paradise. Lord, I wait in expectation. Lord, today, I confess before you my sins, and I acknowledge that my sins put you on the cross. In your love and mercy, forgive me and help me to live these days on the earth for the glory of your Kingdom. Someday Lord I have hope in seeing your paradise...the home built for me through Jesus my Lord. Amen."
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