Benny Nalkara, CMI

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43), is the second verse of Jesus from the cross. This reply of Jesus to the “good thief” at his right side, is given only in the Gospel of Luke, which known for its special allegiance to the sinners. By giving this verse at the end of this gospel, it’s being revealed that Jesus Christ is the one who backs up the sinners even at the time of death. These words of Jesus express the mercies of God that forgives and forgets everything at the request arising from one’s self-awareness and repentance. Perhaps, this reply of Jesus summarizes the gospel of redemption expected by the human kind for centuries.

The soldiers at the foot of the cross continued to mock at Jesus when he prayed for those who persecuted him. One of the thieves crucified with him said: “If you are the King of Jews, save yourself.” At this moment of disgust and shame, the second culprit responded by rebuking him and revealing his own sinfulness and the innocence of Jesus. His response ends in a prayer: “Jesus, remember me when you are in Paradise.” The response of Jesus is before us as one of the last verses from the cross.

The word, “paradise” is seen very rarely in the bible and in the OT testament it is used as “pardes” in Hebrew and in the NT Greek it is used as “parádeisos” which the meaning of “garden” or “flower garden.” The Hebrew word “pardes” appears only in the post-Exilic period (after 538 BCE); it occurs in the Song of Songs 4:13, Ecclesiastes 2:5, and Nehemiah 2:8, in each case meaning “park” or “garden”, the original Persian meaning of the word, where it describes the royal parks of Cyrus the Great by Xenophon in Anabasis. In Second Temple era Judaism, “paradise” came to be associated with the Garden of Eden and prophecies of restoration of Eden, and transferred to heaven. In eschatological contexts, paradise is imagined as an abode of the virtuous dead. The Greek word “parádeisos” appears three times in the New Testament: Apart from this usage in Luke 23:43, 2 Cor. 12:4 – in Paul’s description of a third heaven paradise and Rev. 2:7 – alluding to the tree of life mentioned at Gen.2:8. Though Jesus had used this term only once, he often became very expressive about the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of heaven and with that he meant the same paradise experience of eternal bliss. The reference in the Book of Revelation 2:7, “to him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” is to be read in the context of this response of Jesus to the thief on the cross. It is the beauty of the salvific mystery that all those who have found salvation on the tree of life of the cross are the people who eat the fruit of the tree of life in the paradise. When Jesus said, “…today you will be with me in Paradise” he was revealing that this thief had already entered to the total bliss of redemption. In a way it was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that there shall be more joy in heaven about the one repent of sins.

It was a moment when the cross became the confessional- the meeting point of the sinner and the remover of sins. The second accused prayed with the self-awareness that he was a sinner and that repentance was reflected in the pleading to remember him. His discovery of the redeemer is vivid from his prayer. On the other hand, the failure of the first accused to see the redeemer in Jesus is clear from his ridiculing response to Jesus: “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” But the second one grew into the state of self-awareness of his short comings and confesses it through the response to the other, “we deserve it.” It was his proclamation of faith in Christ, the redeemer. His expression, “for we are receiving the due reward for our deeds” (23:41), shows how repentant he was. When he said “remember me, what was meant was, “please don’t remember by sins!” Jesus’ compassionate love was revealed to him. He was in a way telling to him that he didn’t remember anything. He was telling him that all the sins of a repenting sinner will be “deleted” from the memory of God. It was the proclamation of the Good News that the one who hates the sins will remember the sinner. Jesus made it clear that his Kingdom is paradise and is the garden of those who have received salvation.

The “stealing of Paradise” by the “good thief” at the last moment of his life, refers to the need of self-awareness of the short comings in life and the subsequent repentance, which can lead to redemption. Avoiding self-justification and adding self- acceptance is the right and sure means to salvation and the attaining of eternal bliss in life.