SEVEN STATEMENTS FROM THE CROSS
“TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE” (LUKE 23:43)
A LOVERS PROMISE
It all happened in a little farm village in France near the end of WWII. The German army had killed Maria’s father. They had taken over their little farm and were using their home as a headquarters for their raiding operations into the other little villages. Maria, her mother and sisters were forced to cook for the German officers and clean up their mess and see to their every need. They were hopeless against these brutal men. They were hopeless that is until the U.S. Army came along.
The liberation of France occurred as the U.S. troops moved in and routed the Germans. As they begin to move into the area the German’s begin to move out very quickly. The U.S. soldiers were Maria’s heroes.
One man in particular, named George Lumpkin from Pennsylvania really caught Maria’s eye. He was a big, rough, farm boy but had a kind heart and while his troop stayed at Maria’s farm to rest up, George and Maria developed a very strong liking for each other. They talked, and laughed and in a few short weeks they fell in love.
But George had to move on. The war was not over. There were more towns to liberate, more battles to fight. They might never see each other again. But before he left George put his arms around Maria and made her a “lover’s promise”.
“If you will have me” the big farm boy said, “I will come back here after the war. Somehow I’ll find you and I’ll make you my wife. I will find a way to take you back with me to Pennsylvania and I’ll buy us a little farm. I’ll make you happy Maria. I’ll be a good husband to you”
Maria had no idea where Pennsylvania was. She didn’t even know where the United States was. But she knew she loved George and she knew that George loved her so she accepted his offer. “I’ll wait for you”, she said and she waved good-bye as he marched away.
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It was on a little hillside just north of the city of Jerusalem. There along the roadside were three crosses. This was a common sight for that day and time. Those who passed by that way were used to seeing criminals executed in this manner. This was the Roman’s way of punishing those judged to be guilty of crimes against the nation.
Some days there were many crosses here. Today there were only three. The cross on the left held a man being executed as a thief as did the one on the right. On the center cross however hung a man named Jesus whom the people called the Messiah. All three were hurting. All three were dying.
We are not told that the man on the right and left were mocked. Oh, I’m sure there were some snickers and “They should have known better” statements. But after all, they were just common criminals.
But the man on the middle cross not only endured the pain of crucifixion but was also taking the sarcastic, disrespectful jeers of the crowd. The crowds ridiculed Him. The soldiers taunted Him. Even one of the men dying with Him threw verbal abuse at Him.
But the man on the other side of Jesus saw something different about Him. He was not like any other man he had ever met. There was something believable about Him. So with what little strength he had left, he turned his head toward Jesus and said, “Sir, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.
Not the most forceful statement of belief ever heard.
Not a comment that would have people jumping benches and shouting glory.
But it was a simple statement of belief.
“I believe you are Lord and that you will reign over your kingdom. I accept you as my king”.
Jesus too was weak. He too had only a few breaths left and so very little strength left to make them. Yet He pulled Himself up, straining against the iron spikes in His wrist, and pushing against the iron spike in His feet and with more love than you and I can imagine He made this lovers promise, “Today, you will be with me in paradise”.
The thief had no idea where paradise might be but he willingly believed what this man said and totally accepted His promise.
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There was another young man who had made a lot of really bad choices. His choices and conduct had cost him a lot. He had left his wife, his children, his job, his church and his God.
His heart was broken, his life was ruined and his soul was lost.
He stood alone one morning along the edge of the Coosa River at a place called Higgins Ferry. He was there to clear brush from the road side but his mind was not on his work. He looked out across the river and it seemed so wide here. The other side seemed so very far away. But righteousness, love and forgiveness seemed even further away. He had broken everything he loved and he could not fix it.
Then softly, quietly, gently, down that dirt road came a man named Jesus. It was the same man who hung on that cross so many years before. “I can’t fix it” the young man said. “It’s my fault and I can’t fix it”.
And again Jesus made a lovers promise. “You don’t have to fix it” Jesus said, “I already fixed it over 2000 years ago on a cross. Follow me; I’ll take care of it all”.
The young man didn’t understand the love and forgiveness but he willingly believed and accepted it.
******
I love stories with a happy ending, don’t you?
The war ended. George Lumpkin came back to France. He searched for weeks until he found out where Maria was living. He walked up to her as she was working in her garden.He took her in his arms and in a few short weeks they were married. He booked passage for them on a boat back to the U.S. He took her to a little farm in Pennsylvania and carried her across the threshold of their little farm house. George fulfilled his "lovers promise". They lived many years together there and lived to see their children and grand-children grow into fine people. I guess you could say they lived “happily ever after”.
*****
The thief on the cross died. He died an awful, painful, torturing death. No one knows where they buried him. No one knows if anyone came to morn his loss.
But Jesus kept His lovers promise, and as the thief exhaled his last breath here on earth, he inhaled the breath of a new and glorious place. As his tough old heart stopped beating here, his new clean forgiven heart started beating in a place called Paradise.
Now the man who just a short time ago had hung on the cross beside him, stood next to him in a wonderful place. And they lived happily ever after.
******
And what about the young man? Well, he’s not young anymore. He’s still around. He’s still following and still allowing God to fix what needs fixin’. He’s still believing the promise that Jesus gave to him and to His disciples in John 14.
“Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not true I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am there you will be also”.
I don’t know where that place is located. I’ve never been there before. But you can bet your John Deere against a broken down plow mule, one day I’ll be there because Lovers keep their promises.
I don’t know what God has in store for your life.
· You may be left alone, waiting, for a long time like Maria.
· You may have to die a hard death like the thief on the cross.
· You may have to hang around a long time like I have
But I know one thing, you can hang your hat on the promises that Jesus made. He’s gone to fix up the farm and He’ll be back. And if you believe His promises and are faithful to them, one day you will live with Him in a place called Paradise.
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