IT is interesting to notice four classes of people who are mentioned in the gospel by Luke as receiving blessing. The first is a leper (chap. 17); the second a beggar (chap. 18); the third a publican (chap. 19), and the fourth a thief (chap. 23).
Could you be worse than these? It is such God receives at His Supper—lepers, beggars, publicans and thieves. They all found that God was ready to receive them just as they were They did not wait to become better people before they came; indeed, it was too late for the thief to talk of mending when he was being slowly put to death for his misdeeds.
You will notice four things about the thief. The first is, he feared God, saying to his fellow, “Dost not thou fear God?”
The second is, he condemned himself, for he said, “We indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss.”
The third thing was, he trusted in Jesus, saying, “Lord, remember me.”
Lastly, he was associated with Jesus where He was, for Jesus said, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”
All this is true of every one who really believes on Jesus with the heart. Will not you, like the thief, in the fear of God, condemn yourself and look alone to Jesus?
“ ‘Lord,’ he prayed, ‘remember me
When in glory Thou shalt be.’
‘Soon with Me,’ the Lord replies,
‘Thou shalt rest in paradise.’
“This was wondrous grace indeed,
Grace vouchsafed in time of need.
When they trust in Jesus’ name,
Sinners find Him still the same.”
ML-05/26/1935