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 23:35-43
They crucified him , the ultimate punishment for the worst criminals.
They mocked him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
They jeered, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
And they hung him in between two thieves.
One of the thieves reviled him and said:
“Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.”
Remorseless, unrepentant, he joined the crowds in mocking Jesus.
Am I sometimes a bit like this thief too?
The other thief, penitent and contrite, rebukes his fellow thief:
“Have you no fear of God, we have been condemned justly,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
I pray I will have the humility to also confess my sinfulness.
To the penitent and the repentant, the Lord has promised paradise.
But often pride blinds men to their wrongdoings
Instead they pass on the blame to others
And even feel justified and entitled in their insensitivity.
Today, we still crucify the innocent, the weak and the vulnerable.
And we find reasons to do so in the name of heaven.
The people of God can only pray in repentance for divine compassion.
And that the Kingdom of God comes to us soon enough, like today.
Lord, may your Kingdom come and may your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.