Tree of Calvary

"O Tree of Calvary,
send they roots deep down into my heart.
Gather together the soil of my heart,
the sands of my fickleness,
the stones of my stubbornness,
the mud of my desires;
bind them all together,
O Tree of Calvary,
interlace them with thy strong roots,
entwine them with the network of thy love." - Chandran Devansen

Luke 23:33 - "And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left."

Colossians 2:22 - "...that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ."

Living in Grace

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Two responses to Jesus

We are accustomed to the striking image of 3 crosses standing on Golgotha on the fateful day known as Good Friday. We picture the scene with Jesus hanging on his cross between the two criminals, one on his left and one on his right hand side. This moment presents a unique platform for us to contemplate our own response to Jesus. 

The two thieves share the spectrum of humanity's collective response to the Messiah. Some of us refuse to acknowledge Christ as our Saviour and even if Jesus did a whole bunch of miracles for us, we would still remain stubborn of heart. On the other hand, there will be a few people who will recognise Jesus' true nature and we will call out to him for mercy. His response to the penitent thief is also his invitation to all of us.

"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” - Luke 23: 39-43

What is your response to Jesus?

Living in Grace

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