Over the last few days, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about nothing.
More specifically, about somebody who did nothing.
Even more specifically, I’ve been thinking a lot about somebody who did nothing, but got everything.
Here’s what we know about this man, and it’s not a lot. In fact, the little we do know about him would probably make most people happy to not know more.
He never went to church.
He never followed the teachings of Jesus.
He never read the scriptures.
He didn’t seem to hang out with the best people, and wasn’t the person you or I would choose to date our daughters.
He had a rap sheet (possibly because he hung out with others who also had rap sheets).
His rap sheet wasn’t for petty theft, but he was a thief. A couple of guys who knew him made sure to point that out. Maybe he’d stolen from them?
He didn’t do a lot of praying. In fact, as far as we know, he only prayed once, and that wasn’t really even a prayer. It seemed to be more of a short conversation.
Thankfully, that conversation was captured, and I’ve got to tell you, if that man knew that he was only going to have 39 words that he spoke recorded for everyone to read forever, he chose them well. Especially the last 9. Here they are, as Luke recorded them:
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? 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.” (Luke 23:39-42, emphasis mine)
And then, he died.
And then, he lived.
Jesus told him that they’d be together in paradise.
This man who never joined a church, never took communion, never served on a ministry team, never gave an offering, never raised his hands in worship, and never “repeated this prayer” after Jesus, got Jesus.
This man on a cross next to The King on The Cross is a beautiful reminder that all the bad we do can’t keep us from salvation, and all the good we do doesn’t get us closer to it. He only did the bad, and died before he could do any of the good.
And yet, this man who did absolutely nothing for God, still received everything from God because he recognized the mercy of God.
Today, my prayer is that you and I would recognize that mercy, too.
