One night John was attempting to put his four-year-old daughter, Laura, to bed. However, she was like most four-year-olds. To avoid going to bed, Laura took three trips to the bathroom, asked for a drink of water, wanted another story told, needed Dad to put the light on, heard a sound, and so on. After finally taking care of all his daughter's needs, John finally went upstairs to write.

Half an hour later, deep into his writing, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up, and he sensed that another person had slipped into the room (if you have children, I’m sure you understand this experience). He slowly turned around to see that Laura was standing at the door of his study, staring at him.

Frustrated, he spoke…with a bit of anger in his voice, "What do you want me to do now, Laura?"

Laura quietly sauntered up beside her father, grabbed his arm, and said, "Nothing, Daddy. I just want to be close to you."

On this Good Friday Laura may be speaking the very words of God to us: “I just want to be close to you.” I wonder how many times a day God tries to get our attention, trying to quiet us long enough to hear his deep desire to spend eternity with us. Maybe, it takes something dramatic to finally get our attention.

In the confusion of the betrayal of Jesus; in the injustice of the trial before Pilate and Herod; in the ugliness of the crowd begging for a crucifixion; in the horrifying beating and excruciating death of the one who knows only love; we still call this day ‘Good’…it’s good because through it all, we can hear God dramatically saying to us…”I just want to be close to you.”

Only Luke records the full story of the two thieves who were crucified alongside Jesus. Scholars have long agreed that the writer of Luke shaped his gospel to foretell the story of the church in Acts—that Jesus’ story is intimately linked to the story of the church through the apostles. By including the account of the two thieves in such detail, Luke found a way to include us all. In these two men, we see ourselves.

Although both were criminals, they couldn’t be more different. One saw Jesus as just another fraud, getting what he deserved. He mocked Jesus, put him down, and even made fun of him. With his last breath of life, this criminal chose to ignore the truth hanging right next to him.

But the other criminal saw something different. He saw something real, something pure, something holy. Even a common criminal can recognize innocence if he has the eyes to see it—but what amazed him most, was that this innocent man did not protest, did not complain, and did not fight back…in fact, it seemed that he knew exactly what he was doing. Although in excruciating pain, Jesus had a sense of otherworldly peace about him. While the first criminal, and many others, could only see a mortal man hanging on that cross that day, the other criminal saw something more…he saw God himself. He recognized that it was God hanging next to him! And when one encounters God, one is changed instantly. He was no longer a criminal, but a believer. In that moment of recognition, the criminal’s past had been wiped clean, and he was forever transformed. No wonder he couldn’t help but blurt out to the King of Kings, “Will you remember me?”

While an ordinary man would be so focused on his own pain, Jesus had compassion for the pain and desire of the man next to him. How does God always respond to genuine faith—even in the last moments? With grace, love, and hope, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” It is never too late to be remembered!

Today, we painfully recognize that these two criminals…are us! Some of us have the eyes to see the God who is with us in the midst of our pain, our sin, our struggle for life. And some just see another guy, getting what he deserves for standing up for the outcasts…speaking up for what’s right…calling all of us to get involved in the lives of people whom no one cares about.

What is most interesting about the second criminal is that he was a criminal--he indeed lived a life of depravity and sin, and deserved to be crucified next to Jesus. This Good Friday, we too find ourselves hanging on our own crosses next to Jesus. Oh, we may not be criminals like the thieves, but we too are bent toward sin. We have grown selfish, regularly choosing ourselves over others; we’ve become more interested in building up our IRA’s instead of building up God’s kingdom; we spend more time complaining about the church and our community, instead of rolling up our sleeves and doing something about it; we have trouble attending worship one hour a week, keeping the Sabbath, and praying daily; we have ignored the homeless, forgotten the poor; and disregarded the oppressed as someone else’s problem….We have failed to love God with our whole heart; and we have failed to love our neighbors as ourselves. In the end, we are not really that different from the criminals hanging next to Jesus.

But…do we have the eyes to see the loving God right there with us—in the mess of our lives—saying to us…”I just want to be close to you”…offering forgiveness, restoration, and new life? Or, do we see just another man, getting what he deserves?

The truth is that Jesus’ death offers new life to those who would ask Jesus to remember them. Just as the criminal saw something more in Jesus, Jesus saw something more in the heart of the criminal…a desire to be with God. A desire to be made right, to leave the life of sin, and follow in the path of righteousness. A desire to be close to the author of life, and the victor over death. A desire to be immersed in the Living Water, and take in the Bread of Life. A desire to BE remembered.

On this Good Friday, we are faced with a choice: do we ignore the truth right before our very eyes, or do we summon the strength and courage from deep within ourselves to cry out, maybe for the first time, “Lord, remember me? Remember me!”

If we listen close, if we listen with our hearts and our souls, there is no doubt that we will clearly hear the most beautiful words that will change our lives and transform this world forever, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”