Why does it always seem that those days that you have to DRAG yourself to church and you’re just feeling like you’d rather be somewhere else, are the days you find yourself hearing exactly what you needed and fighting back tears? That was me today. And it’s Ed Ditto’s fault. J You gotta love those guys who I would describe as ‘men of few words.’ Not that Ed doesn’t talk, but when he does, he says things so simply and to the point that you just have to listen. Maybe I just envy that because I’m a rambler and can write pages or talk for hours without coming up with anything all that profound. haha
Anyways… Ed was sharing some thoughts about communion today and
asked, “Have you ever found yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time?” Um, yeah, for sure. I don’t think anyone in the room had to struggle to come up with a thought or two about that. Then he turned it around – “How about the right place at the right time?” Well, yeah – been fortunate enough to have that happen to me, too. Then he had us turn to Luke 23 and he read about the two criminals who were crucified along with Jesus.
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left...
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Then Ed graciously gave credit to his wife for this next thought. He said Sharon had pointed out to him that really, at least ONE of the criminals hanging on the cross next to Jesus found himself in the right place at the right time that day. Ed struggled with that thought at first. How can being hung on a cross be a good place to be? Well, it’s not, from a purely physical, worldly point of view. But with spiritual eyes, it’s not hard to see that this was about to be the best day of this man’s life.
It didn’t hit me until I started to write some of this down, that I love the choice of words here from Jesus. Not just, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Or, “Thanks for sticking up for me.” But Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Things look bad right now, but just wait, you have no idea what’s coming! Wow… how amazing must THAT have been to hear? In the absolute most desperate time of this man’s life, in what looked like the worst of 'wrong places' to be, Jesus is about to turn it all around with a beautiful offer of grace and pardon resting on the faith that this man had just put in who Jesus was. Simple. Extraordinary. Perfect timing…
And as I sat there listening, my thoughts drifted back to moments in time where I have been in the worst of situations because of my own sin and disobedience, deserving my own cross hanging next to Jesus. And I can remember the points where I have been literally driven to my knees crying out for help and deliverance… and the very special thing that happened to me this morning as I sat in my seat was that it was so clear to me that Jesus was there all along. In the right place at the right time… even in the wrong place at the wrong time… and maybe most especially in my wrong place at the right time… He’s just where I need for Him to be.
A little while later, in Allen’s sermon, he made a point about how God never works against our will, but He works with our will. We have the choice to fight Him if we want to – but He is so willing to work with us if we will give Him our faith and trust. One criminal on the cross did, the other didn’t. I want to be the one who did and now enjoys his eternity in paradise with Jesus.
“Lord, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom…”
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