The Right Words

 Happy Sunday!

"And Jesus replied, “Today you will be with me in Paradise. This is a solemn promise.”(Luke 23:43 Living Bible).

Have your ever been in a stressful situation or argument and didn't know what to say?  Then afterward you replayed it in your mind and thought, "I should have said this, or that!"  I certainly have!  I even remember playing out the "what ifs" beforehand.  Like, if he says this, I will say that.  Far too many hours and too much brain power expended unnecessarily.  Have you ever really had a chance to say all those witty, and possibly hurtful things? I haven't.

Jesus was in the midst of the most stressful part of his earthly life.  He'd been sleep-deprived, mocked, tortured and beaten, and then nailed to a wooden cross by the notoriously brutal Roman soldiers.  He said very little but what he did say is still teaching us today. Isaiah prophesied, "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was NUMBERED with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."(Isaiah 53:12 KJV).  Even on the cross He suffered opposition.  Hanging between two criminals who should have been in the same excruciating pain, "One of the criminals hanging there began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Then save yourself, and save us too!”(Luke 23:39 Easy-to-Read Version).

Jesus could have easily straighten him out.  But he didn't say a mumbling word, as the church folks would say.  What an example for us.  We don't always have to reply or respond.  Most times no words are plenty of response.  Proverbs 27:2 says, "Don’t praise yourself; let others do it!"(Living Bible).  "But the other criminal protested. “Don’t you even fear God when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done one thing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”(Luke 23:40-42 Living Bible).

I imagine that second thief had a praying mother, and grandmother.  Someone that never stopped believing he would be saved.  In his final moments he humbled himself, admitted he was wrong and asked Jesus to remember him.  Then Jesus spoke up!  He didn't condemn the man or rehash all his bad deeds. He didn't tell him it was too late because he couldn't join the local Baptist Church or get baptized.  He solemnly promised him that the same day he would be with Him in Paradise.  It was that simple!

Love and prayers, Cynthia