Have you ever experienced some undeserved and unexpected act of kindness, compassion, or mercy?  Some examples might be someone letting you in congested traffic, or perhaps helping you do something you can no longer do for yourself due to age, illness, or injury.  Maybe someone in front of you at the fast food drive-through paid for your meal.  These unexpected acts of kindness and mercy are ones that we can often repay, or pass forward by doing the same for someone else.

A more extreme example is a police officer in a traffic stop letting you off with a warning when you know you were guilty and should be receiving a ticket instead.  If the officer were to go even further and instead pay your fine for you, that would be an unheard of act of grace.

There is an even greater gift of undeserved and absolute grace given to us all through Jesus Christ.  That gift is the forgiveness of our sins, and its free, we merely have to accept it.  Our past is just that, it’s our past.  We can’t change it, and we can’t fix it, but we can let go of it, accept God’s forgiveness for it, and recognize that Jesus paid the debt for our sins.

When Jesus was receiving the penalty for the sins of us all, two criminals were being hung on crosses beside him and were confronted with their sin, and with the gift of ultimate grace:

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ”Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him.  “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.  But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43).

The scene of the crucifixion captures the state of the world then, and still captures the state of the world today.  Jesus is surrounded by all of us, and he offers the gift of his grace to all of us.  Some of us will accept it, and some of us will not.  Which cross are you hanging on?

See you at the ramp!