We Will Be With Him in Paradise: Camellia Bailey
And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
(Luke 23:35-43)
In this Gospel reading, Jesus is mocked, ridiculed, and berated by the rulers, soldiers, and even one of the men being crucified beside him, all of them questioning his divinity. The root of their questioning lies in the belief that if Jesus really is who he says he is, obviously he would use his godly power to save himself instead of allowing himself to be horrifically killed by human hands. Any son of God who winds up crucified must not be the son of God at all. But the condemned man's accusation is the most interesting to me, probably because I find it relatable: "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
I've learned that it's so easy for me to start questioning Jesus like this. When I find myself in intense times of suffering or hear of senseless tragedies in the lives of others, I've been just as tempted to demand that Jesus prove that he really is who he says he is. I want some kind of proof that the suffering won't last forever, and that God hasn't forgotten about me or the rest of his people. And despite how many works we've seen him do, when it seems like our prayers have gone unanswered for too long, we can begin to ask if Jesus really is Christ the Lord, if he really is our Savior.
I think that this is a very normal human experience, and is a constant struggle as we live in a fallen world. However, the condemned man on Jesus's other side reminds us that the salvation Jesus gives us goes so much deeper and further than the suffering and even death we experience in our lives on earth. He speaks with a confidence in salvation that's humbling to me. He doesn't demand Jesus save him from his impending death and the condemnation he faces because of his crimes, but instead asks that Jesus remember him when he comes into his heavenly kingdom. While Jesus remains silent in the face of his accusers, to this man he says, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Jesus can and often does have the power and the grace to rescue us from our earthly troubles. But his salvation is realized not only in his power to deliver our bodies from harm or protect us from trouble, but to deliver our souls. When we suffer, it's only right that we call out to God to save us, to sustain us and deliver us. But I find it all too easy myself to lose sight of the fact that the salvation Jesus promises is so vast that when we receive it, we have the guarantee that we'll be with Christ himself in Paradise, where there is not suffering at all. No matter what tragedies we suffer here, Jesus has already prepared a place for us with him in heaven. And that salvation is so good that it overflows even into our lives on earth now. We can experience the freedom of forgiveness and God's grace now.
Whenever we receive Communion, we can be reminded of this: that Jesus is Christ the Lord, who has the power to save. By taking his Body and Blood, our minds can be transformed to know and believe that Jesus is truly who he says he is.
Amen.
Camellia Bailey is a LA Tech and ACF alum from Shreveport, LA. She earned her BFA in Studio Art, after which she served two years as a Missionary Intern and a year as Associate Director for our ministry. In addition to her role as Administrative Assistant, she is also a professional artist and co-owner of Sister Shop- an original art business she founded with her sister Chlese Henderson. Her favorite things to do include spending time with her husband Akin, hanging out with friends, making art, thrift shopping, and gardening. She is passionate about sharing the goodness of scripture and the love of God with others.