Be Still and Know That He Is God...

what the thief sees: Dirty walls and floor. Rationed sunlight squeezing through cracks. rats scurry through holes. He'd do the same if He could.

what the thief hears: soldiers' feet shuffling, prison door clanging. "get up, your time has come".

what the thief sees: Defiant faces lining a cobbled path. men spitting in digust, women turning in derision. as the thief crests the top of the hill, a soldier yanks him down, another presses his forearm against a beam and braces it with a knee. he sees the solder reach for the mallet and spike.

what the thief hears: pounding. pounding hammer. pounding head. pounding heart. soldiers grunt as they lift the cross. the base thuds as it falls into the hall.

what the thief feels: pain. breathtaking, pulse-stopping pain. every fiber on fire.

Having been hurt, the thief hurts. Having been wounded, He wounds. Yet Two thiefs joins the jeerers who are saying "He saved others- he can't save himself? king of Israel, is he? then let him get down from the cross..He did claim to be GOd's son, didn't he?"

One thief softens. He stops mocking " we deserve this, but not him..Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom". and Jesus invited him.."don't worry, today you will join me in paradise".

what does the thief see now? He sees the God who wrote the book on Grace. The God who made a place for David , though david made a move on bathsheba, The God who didn't give up on Elijah, though Elijah gave up on God.

what does the theif hear now? He hears what fugitive moses heard in the desert, depressed Elijah heard in the desert.. the storm tossed disciples heard after the wind stopped..the paralytic heard when his friends lowered him through the roof, the blind man heard when Jesus found him on the street.

hE Hears the official language of Christ: GRACE.