And over His head they put the charge against Him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. (Matthew 27:37-38)
It's a good place for Jesus, don't you think? Crucified between two thieves. Given the kind of people He welcomed during His life, I'm sure He felt right at home!
And that's good for you and for me—because we need Jesus just as much as those two dying men did. Oh, we may not be robbers; but we have our own sins, just as deadly, even if they're a lot less conspicuous. Hatred; gossip; pride; back-biting; cheating just a little, here and there; resentment; self-centeredness—all the ordinary sins that add up to have such a life-destroying effect. We may not be nailed to a cross like those robbers, but without Jesus, we'd be just as hopeless—just as surely heading for death.
But we do have Jesus—right here next to us, within call if not within physical reach. We can ask for the help we need, the same way one of those men did when he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42b). Jesus will surely give it. After all, it's the reason He came into our world—to seek out the lost and to bring us home to God through His own suffering, death, and resurrection.
WE PRAY: Lord, bring me too into Your kingdom. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Do you think the thief who asked for mercy understood what he was asking for?
* If so, how do you think he knew it?
* How did you come to know Jesus and what He has done for you?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Today's Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 28-29 Luke 7:31-50
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"