“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ”
— Luke 23:42
“Thieves know where to look for valuables. They understand that it takes hard work to seek out hidden treasure. They know that the jewels are locked in a big black safe. They know that the cash is two stories underground at the bank. They know where things of worth are stored. So, even from his cross, the thief had scoped out the situation, he had cased the joint, and in the right moment, he thought that just maybe grace could come his way and that he could get one more thing out of a world from which he had taken so much.
He asked for the only thing Jesus had left to give. He asked for his memory. He asked to be remembered. Have you ever thought to ask someone this question? “Will you remember me?” Surely some scoffed in dying sunlight at the thief’s pitiful request. But was really it all that pitiful of an ask?
If you’ve ever been truly remembered by someone else, then you know the man strung up next to the Messiah was actually asking for the moon. To asked to be remembered is not a request of the brain; it is a request of the heart.
Think of those people throughout your life who cared enough to pick up the phone or come by or send you a letter in the post. The people who both smile at you and smile about you. Those you moved away from or those who moved away from you that still remember you.
The ones you are thinking about are your life. When the heart speaks to the mind, and a face suddenly appears, we call that love.
With hands pinned open, the thief could finally receive love.
”
“Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” ”
