"Today you will be with me in paradise" [Holy Monday reflection]

Welcome to Holy Week, welcome to the “Seven Last Words of Christ Jesus.” Happy Holy Monday everyone. 

Today we’re going to look at the word, “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” This word comes from Luke 23:43 and this is Jesus speaking from the cross to the good thief as they both prepared to die. “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

While this must have been super consoling to the man who, just prior to this word, said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” I think this good thief represents you and me and it is very consoling that the Lord himself is with me in my life and is with me in my death. The Lord speaks this word to you and to me when we approach our earthly death. “You will be with me,” says the Lord, and Heaven is going to be incredible—finally a place where there is no more sadness, no more sin, struggle, cancer, coronavirus, death, separation from the Lord who we love. Heaven will be the full joy of the relationship with the Lord and his people.

I will have an eternity to catch up with the people I knew in my lifetime. We will laugh and rejoice and reminisce. C.S. Lewis has a great quote about heaven, he says, “Three things I will be surprised about when I get to heaven. First, to see who is there. Second, to see who's not there, and third, to see that I'm there.”

I will get to meet Christians from other generations and marvel at all that the Lord did in their lives. I will meet saints who I had a devotion to and I can speak to them face-to-face… wow! And if that weren't enough, I get to spend time with Mary the Mother of God. I can thank her for her motherly kindness and love for me in my life. I will get to see Jesus, the one whom my heart loves, to embrace the Savior of the world, to see my Lord. Just wow, wow, wow! To be caught up in the eternal worship of Heaven, adoring the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, side-by-side with Mary, Joseph, and all the saints... incredible! 

Heaven isn't just some nice place we will go visit after we die, but it's a living relationship with the Lord that breaks into our world today. Heaven can be experienced today. You and I can experience heaven now, today. “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

Luke includes the word “today” in several locations throughout the Gospel. In chapter 2 verse 11 he writes, “For today in the city of David, a Savior has been born for you, who is the Messiah and Lord.” Or Luke 4:21, Jesus said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Chapter 19 verse 5, Jesus says to Zacchaeus, “Come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house,” and then later in verse 9 Jesus says to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.” 

I think the word “today” communicates to us how eager the Lord is to be with us. He wants to break into my life today, now, in this moment. Will I respond in joy and give Him full access to the house of my life? Will we let the Lord into our hearts afresh and anew today? If so, we too can hear the Lord say, “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

May the Lord's love—this living relationship, this Heaven—break into our lives today. 

God bless you all. Wishing you a very blessed Holy Week and a joy filled Easter. 

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