"Today, In Paradise"

During the Lenten season, my proclamations are examining "Jesus’ Words from the Cross.”  These are the sayings of Jesus during his crucifixion, as recorded in the four Gospels.  As we reflect on these sayings of Jesus from the Cross, it seems to me that the central question we should ask is this:  “What do these sayings teach us about Christian discipleship in the twenty-first century?” 

This Sunday (March 12th), we will reflect on Jesus’ discussion with the pentient thief, who was also being crucified at the same times:

There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’  One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ (Luke 23:  38-43, NRSV)

In order to accurately interpret this conversation between Jesus and the penitent thief, we must do some groundwork.  We must begin with a discussion of the human soul.  Within the scriptures there are two theories of what it means to be a human person with a soul:

1.      Dualist.  The Dualist theory holds that as human persons we are dually comprised of two different quantities.  On the one hand, we have a physical body for this life in the physical, material world.  On the other hand, we also have a spiritual self, which is our true essence and who we really are.  At death, our spiritual soul leaves our dead physical body and it is through this spiritual soul that we experience the resurrection.  An example of the dualist theory in the Bible would be what the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5: 1-10. If you have ever watched Wile E. Coyote or a similar cartoon, then perhaps you have seen this theory of the soul depicted when a cartoon character dies.  For example, when an anvil falls on Wile E. Coyote, instantly killing him, then we see a faint outline of Wile E. Coyote, with angel wings rising out of the corpse and flying away.  This would be a dualistic perspective.  This theory is sometimes called the Greek perspective because it is also the viewpoint held by some Greek philosophers, such as Plato.

2.      Monist or Physicalist.  The alternative theory holds that the soul is integrally part of the person’s physical body.  This view sees my soul as inseparable from my body and who I am as a person.  Thus, according to this view, the soul cannot simply detach from the physical body at death, in the same way that a space probe may detach from the mother ship in a movie about space travel.  This perspective would seem to require that resurrection be a physical resurrection of the whole body.  An example of the Physicalist theory in the Bible would again be provided by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15: 42-58.  This theory is sometimes called a Hebraic perspective because it seems to follow the view presented in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Based purely on anecdotal evidence, I believe that most American Christians embrace the first, dualist theory of what the human soul is.  And, at first blush, this passage seems to assume such a dualist understanding of the human soul.  However, a careful exegesis of this passage reveals that actually it is the second, physicalist model of the soul, which is assumed.  The interpretive key is the word, “Paradise.”

            Several Biblical scholars have done an etymological study of the word, “Paradise.”  They note that originally in the Hebrew language the word referred to a rich and beautiful garden; perhaps the garden of a king.  In imagining this garden, we need to remember that Jerusalem and Palestine are very hot, arid, hostile regions.  So, for the early Hebrews, the word, “Paradise,” would conger up the image of an oasis in the middle of a hot, dry desert.  This paradise would be located at a cool, refreshing stream, with lush, green vegetation all around.

            Etymologies of the word, “Paradise,” suggest that over time, the original Garden of Eden began to emerge as imagined garden.  In addition to fresh, clear water and lush vegetation, the Jews would also see the Garden of Eden as the location—or home—of the Divine; that is, God the Creator.  As with most words, the meaning of “Paradise” continued to grow and adjust over time.  By the time of Second Temple Judaism, which included the time of Jesus’ ministry, the word had become more technical in its application.  Here, we should keep in mind that according to Jewish theology, the Resurrection was conceived as a bodily resurrection.  From within this framework, “Paradise” had come to mean that place where the righteous dead stayed prior to their bodily resurrection at the end-time.

            Thus, we could re-construct the dialogue between Jesus and the penitent thief in this way:

            Thief:  Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom, meaning Jesus’ eschatological Kingdom at the end-time, when Christ returns in all of his glory, (See Revelation 21:1-8) and the bodily resurrection of Christ’s disciples occurs.

            Jesus: Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise, meaning not a physical oasis with cool water and lush vegetation, but rather that place where Christ’s disciples stay until the coming of the eschatological Kingdom and the bodily resurrection of the faithful.

Now that we done our due diligence in carefully analyzing and interpreting this text, we come to the fundamental question of these explorations into the words of Jesus on the Cross:  “What does this saying from the Cross teach us about Christian discipleship in the twenty-first century?”   It seems to me that there are three major lessons for contemporary Christians:

1.      Jesus promise to the penitent thief serves to underscore and confirm the promise of eschatological Resurrection which Christ extends to all of his followers.  Through his own Resurrection on Easter, Jesus guarantees and points ahead to the eschatological Resurrection of the faithful at the end time.  As Christians, God intends for us to be a Resurrection People, living lives of joy, hope, and love, while confidently looking to the future and the full development of God’s Reign.

2.      As followers of Christ, we are to mirror his treatment of the thief in our lives.  The criminal was an outcast from society, marginalized because of evil deeds which he acknowledges from his cross.   Yet, just as he has done throughout his ministry, Jesus offers healing and salvation to the outcast criminal.  Essentially, Jesus’s actions demonstrate that in God’s eyes, no one is a lost cause.  Similarly, Jesus intends for his disciples to embrace and minister to those whom society marginalizes and calls “losers.”

3.      For each of us, just as for the penitent criminal, it is never too late to seek forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation from God.  This criminal confesses to a life of evil.  Yet, even as he hangs dying, Christ is ever ready to forgive, heal, and reconcile.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us this Sunday, March 12th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we reflect further on these words of Christ from the Cross and how important they are for faithfully following Christ in the twenty-first century.  Our church is located at 4530 A Street.  Our classic worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.