Jesus, Remember Me (Luke 23:42)

First, read our Gospel Lesson for this coming “Christ the King Sunday” (Luke 23:33-43), that marks the end of the church year. And imagine the following with me …

There was nothing he could do. There was nothing left that he could take or steal from life. And one of the two criminals, who was hung-out-to-dry on a cross next to Jesus’ … knew it. There was only wind blowing across his mangled ’n crucified body. Beaten near death, struggling for breath, he turns his face and says to Jesus: “Jesus, remember me. Please remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And all mortal flesh was silent … But then // out of the silence // breaking the death sentence, comes the voice of him who is the King of all Creation: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43; cf. our Second Lesson from Colossians 1:11-20, esp. v.17).

Now, some 2000 years since Dr. Luke’s account of this event, a day called “Good Friday,” there still remains a deep seated yearning in our hearts for being remembered. Especially in our time, I think it takes its form in a word: “communion” or “community.” From the beginning, God has given us a heart that remains restless until it finds full communion. And we search for it in friendship, marriage, family, success, and all kinds of material stuff. But ten times out of nine, we find such efforts coming up empty, and the tempting voices begin to whisper: “Save yourself.” (Note how this phrase appears three times in our Gospel Lesson—Luke 23:35, 37, 39). This is part of the Self-Help craze in our times: a now $10 billion industry of best-selling books, podcasts, retreats, workshops, and even includes some attempted sophistication on TED Talks. But the truth is we can’t “save ourselves.” Not even our best friends, or Black Friday savings of up to 50%. And cutting to the grave facts of it all: the mortality rate is still 100% even with all of our amazing advances in medicine. So then what? Where do we turn, from our crosses … as fellow criminals/sinners?

So let me ask you: “What difference would it have made if Jesus had come down off the cross, and saved himself?”

Come join our communion of First Lutheran Church as we gather around God’s Word for us this coming “Christ the King Sunday.” Hear again the strikingly different voices from the two criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus. And see, perhaps for the first time, how one cross makes a crucifix and three make a church. In the meantime … Christ the King at his birth: “For to you is born this day a Savior …” (Luke 2:11). Christ the King at his inaugural address of public ministry: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). And finally, fully, Christ the King as he is about to usher in God’s kingdom come, who reigns even from a cross … for you: “Today, you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

I’ll see you this coming weekend at worship, where the three crosses meet …

In Christ,

John Christopherson
Senior Pastor