Random Musings about the Good Thief

"Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise"
                     - Jesus Christ, to the Good Thief (and hopefully, someday, to us)

By now you know today's reading is my favorite Gospel passage. Here are some of my thoughts about the Good Thief (St. Dismas) from this weekend:

• I wonder if the he ever met Jesus.  It wouldn't be that unrealistic.  There is a chance he heard Jesus preaching as he walked past him.  We tend to forget what life was like back then, and surely a figure like Jesus would draw attention as He entered a village.  
• Did he insult Jesus first?  Matthew and Mark both tell us that those crucified next to Jesus jeered Him.  Perhaps St. Dismas realized the error of his ways while witnessing Christ's behavior on the cross.
• The fact that Jesus tells the St. Dismas that he will join Him in Paradise shows God's unbelievable mercy.  Did the Good Thief give a full confession on the cross?  It doesn't sound like it.  Was he baptized?  It doesn't sound like it.  So why was he saved?  One reason, and one reason only... God's great mercy.
• His scene is actually a Station of The Cross.   Number 11 to be exact.  I sometimes forget that because most churches still have the original Stations up.  (As you know, Pope John Paul II instituted a series of 14 new Stations to more accurately align to the Gospels)
• His teaches us to act.  Now.  What if the Good Thief waited to ask Jesus to remember him?  We may never know, but we do know that God is always ready to forgive us.  He waits for us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  And yet, few of us take frequent advantage of that.

I pray that one day we all get to hear the same words St. Dismas did - Jesus telling us we will be joining Him in Paradise. 

God Bless you.

Two Things I Learned About A Crucifix of Jesus

I learned two things about the Crucifix last week that I probably should have know, but didn't.

The first, I kinda knew, but never took the time to learn the detail.  I always knew the sign posted above Jesus read INRI and stood for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.  But I never really understood  how those letters stood for that phrase.  Turns out there was no "J" in Latin, and the letter "I" was often used in its place.  So the phrase in Latin is Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm.  


The second, embarrassingly enough, I never even thought about.  In some crucifixes and paintings, Jesus' head is tilted straight down on the crucifix.  In most, however, it is tilted down (or up) but slightly to the right.  Why the difference?


A person that was crucified would have likely died from asphyxiation, and thus, their head would have slumped straight down.  So, crucifixes that show Jesus' head in that pose are attempting to be more realistic in their depiction.


Those that show His head tilted slightly down (or up) and to the right are taking some artistic liberties.  The right hand, in Christian faith, is the hand of blessing.  Since Jesus chose to sacrifice Himself for our sins, He, in turn, gave us the ultimate blessing.   This is why His head faces right in some crucifixes - to show that His death is a blessing for all of us.


Since my "lesson" last week, I did a little more research and found two other explanations for the right-leaning head tilt.  One stated that Jesus was facing the good thief, whom He saved before dying.  The other said it was to reinforce that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.


I've looked at crucifixes of our Savior thousands of times.  Who knew I still had so much to learn about them?

God Bless.

Apologetics for Today's Thomas

"Yes, but how do you know that the Resurrection actually happened?"

As Christians, we have all heard this question at least once in our lives. Especially at Easter.

So I thought it would be worthwhile to share a list of some apologetics that I have heard over the years, put into loose theoretical order.

Here it goes ...

1. Jesus died while on the cross. There is almost no debate on this one. Christian and non-Christian writers have mentioned Jesus' execution and death. Furthermore, the odds of surviving the scourging, crucifixion, and lance to the side are medically slim to none.
2. Joseph of Arimathea was given the body. There is no other written testimony to contradict this. And, Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin (albeit sometimes mentioned to be Jesus' relative). If the followers of Christ were making up a tale, they certainly would not have let their King's body be turned over to a member of the despised group that condemned Him to begin with.
3. Matthew tells us there was a guard stationed at the tomb. We do not know if this is a Roman guard or a Jewish one. If it was a Roman one, there is no way he would have taken the body or assisted in a cover-up because the punishment would have been severe. If it was a Jewish guard, surely he would have done everything possible to prevent theft of the body. In either instance, the guard was likely armed, making it even harder for a common person to get past him.
   
4. All four Gospels tell us that it was women who found the empty tomb. In Jesus' time, the testimony of women was worthless. If the authors were trying to gain credibility, they would have had men making the greatest discovery of all time. If they were just telling the truth, they would tell it exactly as it happened.
   
5. There was a two-ton stone covering the tomb. The women could not have moved it themselves to take the body. Nor could anyone else with any degree of stealth.
   
6. There are no Jewish or Roman writings contradicting the empty tomb. Having an empty tomb is paramount to proving there was a Resurrection. If the women were at the wrong tomb, as some protest, the Jews would have showed the world the actual tomb.
   
7. Jesus appears to many. To different people at different times. To believers and non-believers. He ate with the disciples. Thomas was able to touch Him. St. Paul even tells the Corinthians that the Resurrected Jesus appeared to over 500 at one time, many of whom were still living. In other words, they could have confirmed this if they wanted to.
   
8. The Apostles were convinced. These same folks that ran when Jesus was captured, denied Him, and remained hidden after the Crucifixion, suddenly found the courage to preach the Word to their death. Every one of them. Surely at least one of them would have bailed on the plan if the whole thing was a conspiracy, no?
9. They had nothing Earthly to gain. People lie to gain something. Money. Power. Status. They got ridiculed, beaten, and jailed. And they kept going. That is pretty strong conviction.
   
10. They preached in Jerusalem. They didn't all go off immediately to a foreign land to preach the Word. They preached in front of witnesses. They could not have gotten away with that if they were fabricating the events that had transpired. (And again, if the Jews had the body, they would have produced it to nip the revolution in the bud.)

This certainly isn't an exhaustive list, and I'm sure there are many more points to make.

But hopefully it will help more than one person echo the Apostle Thomas' beautiful statement ...

"My Lord and my God"

God bless.

My Script about Choices

(Narrator)

Jesus is among us every day.

What choices do you make?

----------------

(Michael reads his post)

In today's Passion reading, Luke recounts one of my favorite moments in the New Testament.

While Matthew, Mark and John mention that two thieves are crucified with Jesus, only Luke tells us about Dismas' (the good thief) request.

Dismas led a life of sin, and as such, was sentenced to die in one of the cruelest ways possible. But as fortune would have it, he just happened to be crucified right next to the Savior of the world. He had a few hours - a tiny fraction of his life - to make a decision that would last for eternity.

He chose to repent. To believe. To follow Jesus.

And in doing so, he saved his soul.

Gestas, the other thief, makes no such request of Christ.

He had the same chance.

He was right there next to Jesus.

All he had to do was ask.

But he didn't. He made a terrible decision.

Every time I read this passage I want to shout out to him ..."Are you nuts? Don't you know that is the Son of God right next to you! Please, just ask Him to remember you!"

(confidently) I mean, if I was right next to Jesus I would certainly know it. I would make the right choice every time.

(slightly less confidently) Yup, I would.

(much quieter and much less confidently) I would, right?

(scene fades with Michael looking in mirror)

Good Friday

I have watched Mel Gibson's The Passion every Good Friday since it came out in the theaters. It has become somewhat of a yearly tradition for me.

I know there are a lot of discussions about whether the film paints Jewish people or Roman people in a bad light, but I try and put that debate aside and enjoy the film as a way to spend time with Jesus. To me, the film helps me connect with what Good Friday is all about - Jesus suffering for our sins. And on this topic, Mel scores a 10 in my book.

The film is dark, depressing, and painful. And this is exactly what a movie about Christ's suffering should be. There is a 10 minute clip - where the Roman guards are whipping and beating Jesus - that is excruciating to watch. There is one part in particular where it seems like they can not beat him any more ... and then they roll him over and continue to torture him. It makes me sick to my stomach - and that is exactly the way I want to feel on Good Friday.

If I feel that bad just watching a reenactment, I can only imagine how it felt to those who witnessed it live. (And of course, how horrific it must have been for our Lord.)

But He endured it all. He endured for me, and for you, and for everyone else who will follow Him.

Thank you, Jesus, for suffering so greatly for our sins. May we never forget your Sacrifice.

I hope you all have a very Spiritual Good Friday.

God Bless.

Lenten Perspective #4

What if someone told you that if you left your house today you were going to get hit by a car and die?

Would you leave your house?

I know I wouldn't.

For those of you that were brave enough to say yes, what if instead of getting hit by a car you were going to be tortured and beaten,
mocked in front of everyone you care about, and left to die a slow
painful death?

Would anyone in their right mind leave their house?

But Jesus basically did that. He headed towards Jerusalem knowing that He was going to die a painful death. He kept walking, knowing full well that He was going to be beaten and mocked. Knowing full well that He was going to have to carry a heavy cross - and an even heavier burden of our sins - past a jeering crowd. Knowing full well how painful those nails would be as they pierced His skin. And knowing full well he was going to die in one of the most evil ways humanity ever invented.

How did He put one foot in front of the other with that knowledge?

How did He even get any sleep the night before he broke bread with his Apostles?

And how did He push on, knowing he was doing all this for a bunch of sinners?

Jesus, thank you for doing all that just so we can one day be with you in Paradise. There are no words that can express our gratitude.

God Bless.

What if Jesus Lived One More Year?

Last night at the Stations of the Cross, I read a phrase about Jesus' death that was new to me:

Station 11: Crucifixion
They killed Jesus and ended his earthly teachings.

I'm accustomed to the phrase "Jesus' death" being followed by a higher order of things. For example, "Jesus died so we can be saved" or "Jesus died and rose on the third day".

In other words, His death is always the predecessor to something very spiritual and positive.

But that phrase "ended his earthly teachings" brought out the very tangible result of Jesus' death. His daily lessons - the way his followers had come to know them - stopped.

Centuries later, its easy to make the leap from Jesus' death to confident Disciples proclaiming His Word. But the reality is, on that day, they lost their teacher and their leader. Aside from losing a loved one, they also lost their compass and their guide. There was no one there to give them all the answers anymore. Can you imagine the void they must have felt in their lives?

I also couldn't help but wonder ... what if "they" hadn't ended his teachings right then and there. What if Jesus lived another month, another year, or another 10 years. I wonder how many more lessons He could have left for us?

God Bless.

Reach Paradise

Curious as to how I came up with the name of my blog?

I thought you’d never ask.

In Luke’s version of the Passion, two criminals are crucified along side of Jesus. One criminal joins the Roman soldiers in mocking Jesus, while the other one asks Jesus to remember him when he enters Heaven.

Jesus replies with - in my opinion the most beautiful phrase in the entire bible - “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

That passage reminds me of two things:

One, Jesus will always forgive us. Even during our final moments and no matter what our sins. His love for us is never ending.

Two, we should all do whatever we can so that we hear those same words from Him during our final hours. Can you imagine how glorious is must be to hear those words from Christ? To know you will be joining him in Heaven?

And so this blog is one way that I am trying to grow closer to God. Its my own little way to try and reach paradise.

God Bless.