ST 21 : THE THIEF ON THE OTHER CROSS

Glory to God in the highest ... 

The Story Of Easter as told by the good thief on the other cross.

Images reflect on events during the Holy Week.

I don't belong here. 

I really don't. 

Paradise is the last place I expected 

to end up after all I've done. 

Let me tell you my story.

Palm Sunday : Jesus enters Jerusalem

I am -- I was -- an armed robber, I guess you'd call it. 

Me and Jake and the others would live in caves in the 
Judean hills near the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. 

We made our living by violence. 
 
We wouldn't take on people in the big groups 
that passed. They traveled together for safety. 
But a family alone would be an easy mark, 
as well as anyone fool enough to travel by himself.

Maundy Thursday - The Last Supper

Brandishing a strong staff would usually do the trick. 

Threaten them with a beating and they'd give up 
without much of a fight. I've been known to break 
a few bones in my day, God forgive me. 

I don't think I actually killed anyone, but then 
I never stayed around long enough to find out.

 Jesus washes the feet of his disciples ...

The first time I meet Jesus is when I am invited to 
a party in His honor in Jericho at the home of a 
rich tax collector named Zacchaeus. 

I am introduced, we shake hands, and Jesus looks 
me in the eye for a long moment. He can see right 
into me, who I am, every crime I have ever committed. 

Then He smiles this big friendly smile. 

"You know," He says. "There's forgiveness for you 
in My Kingdom. How about it?"

 Jesus preaches to a crowd.

I drop my eyes, say something non-committal, 
and shuffle away. The next day I'm in the crowd, 
hanging on every word he says. 

Jesus is talking about His Kingdom, comparing it 
to a mustard seed, calling it the Kingdom of Heaven. 

I  want so much to go up to Him after He has 
finished and take Him up on that forgiveness thing, 
but I just can't bring myself to do it.

 Judas betrays Jesus.

I wish I had. 

It isn't much later when me and my friend Jake, 
the guy on the third cross, get caught by a 
Roman patrol. 

The others run off, but they catch us, beat us silly, 
drag us into Jerusalem, and throw us in prison. 

No mercy for the likes of us.

Good Friday : Jesus is nailed to the cross.

And so it happens ...

that on the same day that they crucify Jesus, 

they crucify me and Jake ...

one of us on His left, the other on His right. 

This ain't no normal crucifixion. 

Mobs of people are there just because of Jesus. 

Self-righteous Pharisees are swaggering and mocking. 

"If you're some kind of messiah," one sneers, 

"come on down from that cross. 

If you're a savior, save yourself -- if you can!"

 Jesus says, "It is finished."

Jake begins cat-calling, too, if you can imagine that. 

I yell over at him, 

"You miserable thug, don't you have any fear of God? 
Can't you see that we're going to die just like He is? 
Show a little decency! We're getting exactly what we
deserve, but He ain't done nothing wrong."

Jake quiets down and the Pharisees lose interest. 

Jesus dies on the cross.

But I can't get Jericho out of my mind. 

I can't forget Jesus' eyes, His words, His invitation. 

And so I call over to Him, though it's getting hard 

to breathe and talking makes it that much harder.

 The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross 
and placed in the arms of His mother.

"Jesus!" I say. 

He turns His head towards me. 

"Jesus, I was there in Jericho. I met you at a party 

at Zacchaeus' house. Remember?"

He looks at me for a moment and then nods His head 

just a little. 

He does remember.

 Saturday Vigil : Jesus is laid in the tomb.

"I never forgot what You said. 

I wanted to say yes, but just couldn't. 

And now look at me -- look at us!"

He is in bad shape -- exhausted, 

in excruciating pain, 

back oozing, 

breath labored. 

He isn't going to last long. 

I can see that. 

But somehow, I can see beyond all that. 

 Easter Sunday : The stone securing the tomb has been rolled away.

He was the Messiah, is the Messiah, 

no matter what those priests and Romans 

and Pharisees have done to Him. 

And when He dies, He will be with God. 

In a few hours, maybe less, He will be vindicated. 

He will reign in that Kingdom He told us about.

 The tomb is empty.

"Jesus," I call again, quieter now.

He opens His eyes. 

They are the same eyes, the same piercing, 

loving, honest eyes.

"Jesus," I say, "when You come into Your Kingdom, 

would You remember me?"

 The women heard a voice saying, 

"Why do you look for the living among the dead?"

His words are labored, His lips parched, 

but I can still hear Him pretty well. 

"Truly, I say to you ..." His voice cracks, 

then is stronger for a moment. 

"Truly, this very day you will be with Me in Paradise."

 "He is not here ..."

 

His eyes droop. He is fading quickly now. 

But I believe Him. I do! 

That's what gets me through those next few hours 

until they break my legs to kill me. 

I do believe Him! 

"He is risen ..."

And then I find myself here in Heaven, in Paradise. 

I sure don't deserve to be here, but here I am anyway. 

I guess that's what a man like me gets when the 

King himself grants a pardon. 

Full forgiveness. 

Pretty amazing, don't you think?



By Dr Ralph F. Wilson.

The purest meaning of Easter is the celebration of Jesus' resurrection 

up to Heaven and His promise of eternal life.

Thank You Jesus ... 

for dying on the cross for me and saving me from my sins. Because of Your resurrection, You have conquered death. 
I will no longer die in vain but have eternal life with You. 

Forever. :D

 a silent thot ...

by lynn phua

ST 20 : THE WINDOW

Fred and Ollie shared the same hospital room. 

They were both very ill.

Fred  was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour 

a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. 

His bed was next to the room's only window. 

Ollie had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. 

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military  service, their favorite vacations, and practically everything under the sun.

Every afternoon, whenever Fred could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

Ollie lived for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. 

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, Fred would say. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. 

Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. 

Ollie listened.

As Fred looked out of the window and described everything he saw in exquisite detail, Ollie who was on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, Fred described a parade that was passing by. 

Ollie could not hear the band.

However, he could see it in his mind, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. 

An alien thought entered his head: 

Why should Fred have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see  anything? 

It didn't seem fair. 

As the thought fermented, Ollie felt ashamed. 

As the days passed, Ollie found his envy eroding into resentment and turning him into a bitter man. 

He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. 

He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as Ollie lay staring at the ceiling, 
he heard Fred began to cough. 

Fred was choking on the fluid in his lungs. 

Ollie watched in the dimly lit room as Fred struggled 
by the window and groped for the button to call for help. 

Listening from across the room, Ollie did not moved. 

He chose not to push his own button which would have brought the nurse running. 

In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. 

Now, there was only silence ... deathly silence.

The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. 

When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened. She called the hospital attendant to take the body away ...

No words, no fuss ... 

As soon as it seemed appropriate, Ollie asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly and painfully, Ollie propped himself up on one 
elbow to take his first look. 

Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. 

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window 
beside the bed ... 

Alas ... 

It faced a blank wall.

The moral of the story:

The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice.

a silent thot ...

by lynn phua

  

ST 19 : WHEN A PET DIES

A story from the internet ...

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. 

The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith
was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. 

I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? 

She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. 

I really miss her.
 

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven.
 

We put our return address on it.

Then, Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.
 

That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed,
 

"To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand. 

Meredith opened it.
 

Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, "When a Pet Dies."  

Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. 

On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.

Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.  

Abbey loved being your dog. 

Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

(It is not known who wrote the reply but there is a beautiful soul working in the office of the US postal office.)

Happiness keeps you Sweet

Trials keep you Strong 

Sorrows keep you Human

Failures keep you Humble

Success keeps you Glowing

But Only God Keeps You Going!

Received by email from B. Loo on 3-3-2011. 

Images from the internet. Jackflap. Craftyjuice.

ST 18 : THE EMPTY EGG

Ferris was a special boy. 

At the age of 13, he was still in second grade. 

His teacher, Miss Johnson, often became 

exasperated with him. 

He would squirm in his seat and grind his teeth. 

Sometimes though, he would surprise everyone 

by speaking clearly and coherently. 

Most of the time, Ferris irritated his teacher.

One day, Miss Johnson called his parents to school

for a consultation. 

She said to them, 

"Ferris really belongs in a special school. 

Why, there is a 5 year gap between his age 

and that of the other students."

Mrs Hampton cried softly into a tissue. 

Her husband said, 

"There is no school of that kind nearby. 

It would be a shock to Ferris if we remove him 

out of this school. We know he really likes it here."

After they left, Ferris' teacher sat for a long time, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Hamptons.

After all, their only child had a terminal disease. 

Then again, it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 20 other students to teach, and Ferris was a distraction. 

Besides, he would never learn to read and write. 

She was wasting her time ...

As she pondered over the situation, 

guilt washed over her. 

 

Here I am complaining when my problems 

are nothing compared to that poor family,

she thought. 



Lord, please help me to be more patient with Ferris. 

From that day on, she tried hard to ignore 

the grunting noises and his blank stares.

One day, Ferris limped to her desk, 

dragging his bad leg behind him.


"I love You, Miss Johnson," he exclaimed, loudly. 

The other children sneered and his teacher turned red. 

She stammered, "W-why that's very nice Ferris. 

N-now please take your seat."

Whatever brought that on, she would have to admit, 

he touched her heart that day.

Spring came. 

The children talked excitedly about Easter. 

Miss Johnson told them the story of Jesus. 

To emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, 

she gave each of the children a large plastic egg.



"Now," she said to them, 

"I want you to take this home and bring it back 

tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. 

Do you understand?"



"Yes, Miss Johnson," the children responded. 



All except Ferris. 

He seemed to have listened intently, 

his eyes never left her face. 

He did not make his usual noises. 

Had he understood what she had said about 

Jesus' death and resurrection? 

Did he understand the assignment? 

Perhaps she should call his parents 

and explain the project to them.

That evening, Miss Johnson's kitchen sink clogged up. 

She called the landlord and waited an hour for him 

to come by to unclog it. 

After that, she had to get groceries, iron a blouse 

and prepare a test for the next day. 

She completely forgot about phoning Ferris' parents.

The next morning, 21 children came to school, 

talking excitedly as they placed their eggs in the 

large wicker basket on Miss Johnson's table. 

After they completed their math lesson, 

it was time to open the eggs. 

In the first egg, Miss Johnson found a flower. 

"Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," 

she said. 

"When plants peek through the ground, 

we know that spring is here." 

Little Mary, in the first row, waved her arm. 

"That's my egg, Miss Johnson," she called out.  

The second egg contained a plastic butterfly 

which looked very real. Miss Johnson held it up. 

"A caterpillar changes and grows into a 

beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life too." 

Little Jamie smiled proudly and said, 

"Miss Johnson, that one is mine."

Next, Miss Johnson found a rock with moss on it. 

She explained that moss too, showed life. 

Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom. 

"My daddy helped me," he beamed.

Then, Miss Johnson opened the fourth egg. 

She sucked in her breath. 

The egg was empty. 

Surely it must be Ferris', she thought. 

He did not understand her instructions. 

If only she had remembered to telephone his parents. 

Quietly, she put the egg aside as she did not want 

to embarrass him, and reached for another egg.

Suddenly, Ferris spoke up.


"Miss Johnson, aren't you gonna talk about my egg?"


Flustered, Miss Johnson replied, 

"But Ferris, your egg is empty."


He was silent for a moment. 

Then, he looked into her eyes, and said softly, 

"Jesus' tomb was empty too."


Time stopped.

When she could speak again, 

Miss Johnson asked him, 

"Do you know why the tomb was empty?"


"Oh yes," Ferris said. 

"Jesus was killed and put in there. 

Then His Father raised him up and 

now he lives with God in Heaven."

The recess bell rang. 

While the children ran out excitedly, 

Miss Johnson cried. 

The cold inside her melted away completely.

She will never be the same.

Three months later, Ferris died. 

Those who attended his funeral were surprised 

to see 21 eggs on top of his white casket, 

all of them opened and empty. :D

Thank you Jesus, for saving me.

a silent thot

by lynn phua