2nd Sunday in Lent, Joyful Sounds Handbell Choir is playing, and daylight savings time begins.
From His place on the cross, Jesus encountered someone who, unlike the soldiers who placed Him there, actually owned his own sins and sought redemption for them.
Continuing the theme present throughout Scripture, it is the least expected individual, this time a criminal who had also been condemned to die, who manages to set the example for righteousness in the moment.
Apart from beautifully modeling repentance and illuminating Jesus’ limitless grace, the criminal assists us in a way many tend to miss. He models the perfect reaction to the cross, leads us on the path of rebirth and transformation, all while hanging from his own across adjacent to Jesus’.
There is no fancy worship service, no clergy in clergy robes, no ritualistic “repeat after me” lines, just a person being transformed by Christ.
If the complexity of religion overwhelms you at times and you seek a pure, scaled down depiction of what it looks like to embrace Christ, look no further than the criminal.