YOU CAN ASK

Now there was also an inscription above Him, "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

(Luke 23: 38-43)

So while they were dying on the crosses, one of the two criminals that were executed with Jesus apparently had to play a game of one-upsmanship with Jesus. "Neener, neener, if you're such a big deal, save yourself and us!" It's such a human impulse when we're feeling down, defeated, depressed. We want to feel that there has to be someone who has it worse than ourselves, especially if they might have been someone who in the ordinary course of events had a "better" life than we did. It's not a very noble impulse - in fact, it's downright rotten. But it is human.

But the second criminal knew that dying was serioius stuff. Apparently, he also believed that there might indeed be more to our existence than mere physical survival. He rebukes the first guy by asking "Don't you fear God?"

The second guy seems to have been honest with himself, since he points out that he and the first criminal actually deserved the punishment they were getting. He knew he did not deserve anything better and he had reconciled (ah! that word again!) himself to his fate.

But what is interesting was that even though he had accepted his fate and acknowledged that he deserved every bit of what he was getting, he had the nerve to ask Jesus to remember him when Jesus came to his kingdom. He didn't even ask to join Jesus in that realm, he just asked to be remembered.

To be remembered. To be acknowledged. We all thirst for that. It's what drives many people to chase success, to chase fame or even notoriety. To be assured that someone, somewhere, remembers that we once existed.

Remember me!

But look at what Jesus returns to him -- not "I certainly wll!" but rather "Truly, today you shall be with me in Paradise."

So much more than just being remembered. The criminal who acknowledged that Jesus was indeed Lord, he was told that in spite of his deserving this ignoble death, he was going to be joining Jesus in Paradise. What a reconciliation with God!

What has that to do with Advent?

Let's remember that God has called us to be part of His "Big Picture". We have been invited to "be onstage" to play crucial parts in the fulfillment of His design. To join in the big spectacle.

I think we have all had points in our lives when we've been outsiders, when we've stood looking at some warm glowing room filled with happy people enjoying a wonderful party, listened to voices singing joyfully together, a cheerful bubbling sound of conversation and laugher. Either literally or figuratively, we've stood out in the dark, cold winter night, stopping to look at some bright picture window across the street, where the holiday lights shine in bright colors, the room within glows with golden light, the people all face each other with smiles, and greet each other with affectionate hugs. Love, warmth, contact, and we are not part of it. And we feel that though we want to be part of it, we don't deserve to be part of it.

I think everyone has stood in that spot at some point.

But what this specific passage has to do with Advent is this: That party in that brightly lit room, that is the preparation celebration before the coming of the King. All those people in there love each other, yes, but what they're excited about is that the King is coming! And we, for whatever reasons in our lives -- terrible sins or small sins, loneliness, dispair -- we believe we don't have the right to enter that party company. Maybe because our feet are muddy, or our clothes stink because they haven't been laundered in ages, or because we did something bad to someone in that room. We all have had our reasons for knowing we could not, should not try and push our way into that room. We know we're not wanted. But... we just want someone to remember us, someone in that room to speak our name without condemnation, just for once.

"Remember me." And then we have the intention to continue walking on down the road alone in that cold, dark winter night, were the space is empty.

What Jesus answers to that is this: "I'm going to do more than just remember you and mention your name. You are going to come into the party with me. I don't care about the mud on your feet or the condition of your clothes. When I stand beside that fireplace in the warmth and hold the cup of hot spiced cider in my hand, with that wonderful scent, the person that will be standing with me, receiving the smiles and hugs.... that person will be YOU."

All you have to do is ask.