A SURPRISING FAITH by Jeff Steele

“And he was saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.’ And He said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:42-43

Our familiarity with the stories in scripture sometimes blinds us to the true depth of their meaning. Such is the case with the thief on the cross. The scripture says that after taunting Jesus in the morning, he had a change of heart as the day wore on. Something in the way Jesus faced death grabbed his heart. Later in the day, he rebuked his fellow thief and called out to Jesus for help. He asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came in His kingdom. Jesus assured him that that very day he would be with Him in Paradise.

What we often fail to recognize is the great irony of this exchange. Here is a man dying on a cross for crimes he committed, calling out to another man dying on a cross right next to him! Don’t you think it’s strange to call out to a dying man to save yourself from dying? Why would he ask Jesus to remember him in His kingdom when it didn’t look like Jesus could save Himself?

This is great faith birthed into the heart of the thief on the cross. Despite all the outward evidence before his eyes, he recognized that Jesus was no ordinary man. He understood that whatever happened that day, death would not be the last word on Jesus’ life. With little knowledge to go on, he managed to cry out in faith to the only one who could truly help him. And Jesus responded by promising him a place in Paradise with Him that very day.

Don’t let your familiarity with these events blind you to the great implications of what faith in Jesus can do, even in hopeless situations. The thief’s faith in Christ was rewarded with a place in heaven and the forgiveness of his sins. Asking a dying man to save you doesn’t make sense. But Jesus gave the man far more than he could have imagined. We now serve a living Jesus. Let’s be people of faith in our daily lives, trusting Jesus even when we can’t see how it will work out.

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