“Never too late”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Sunday, November 20, 2022
Luke 23:33-43 (Forward, p. 22) CEV p. 1096
You’d think that Jesus would have had other matters, other concerns, on His mind. Here He was, hanging on the Cross, slowly asphyxiating and in terrible pain and agony. And to make it worse, He was subjected to a constant stream of verbal abuse—from the Jewish leaders, from the soldiers and even from one of the two men that was being crucified with Him.
The other criminal being crucified reproved that first one, told him off, concerning his ill-considered and rude remarks. ‘Don’t you fear God? Aren’t you getting the same punishment as this man? We got what was coming to us, but he didn’t do anything wrong” (verses 40-41).
Then he turned to Jesus and said to Him, “Remember me when you come into power”, when you come into your kingdom (verse 42).
Here, Jesus’ response is most amazing. Full of compassion, He said to that other man on the cross, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise” (verse 43). To us today, that word ‘paradise’ carries none of its original baggage or meaning, and sadly, has been robbed of much of its original meaning, much of its incredible glory.
In secular terms, in the ancient world it referred to the king’s private garden, a place of peace and relaxation where he could be at peace and where he could meet with his chosen favourites and enjoy their company. As a result of this meaning perhaps, in the Hebrew Scriptures, it had come to refer to the Garden of Eden, the one place where there was no sin and where the human race enjoyed the glory and presence of God. Later, it came to describe the place of peace and rest and happiness where God’s people awaited the final judgement.
Here, however, Jesus adds a new wrinkle to this. He tells the errant criminal that not only would he be in this incredibly lovely place, but that He, Jesus, would be there with him. And not just some undisclosed time in the future, but today: no waiting around, no time lapse, but right now. Intimacy with God, right now. Wow.
And all this, in spite of this man’s past, in spite of the many misdemeanors that have brought him to the cross. The man’s one abject call for mercy was enough, enough to bring him salvation and restoration and an eternal place with God. Even at this final hour, and with all that lay behind him, it was not too late to come to God and find His forgiveness and healing. And, so it is with us. No matter who we are or what we have done, we can always come back to God. During this earthly, mortal life, it is never ‘too late’ for us and God. Amen.
Forward notes: “When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left” (verse 33).
“This past fall, I made a point to reread the gospels. I tried to approach them as though I had never read them before, and I rediscovered the beauty of the texts. They’re so infused with life and joy. They feel like great mythos and earthy, gritty reality. With each book, I tried to place myself within the context of the story. I felt connected to the characters and, most importantly, connected to Christ. But when I came again to the crucifixion, I froze. I didn’t want to enter fully into the story. Sometimes I read it at arm’s length, or I glossed over Jesus’s death entirely because it was just too painful to read. Other times, I read it as purposely as I was able and had my heart broken again.”
“As grateful as I am for the beauty of the gospels, I am most grateful that the story isn’t ultimately a tragedy.”
Moving Forward: “Read Luke 23. Where are you in the crucifixion story? Imagine yourself as the guards, the criminals, the onlookers.”