“Remember me”
Luke 23: 39 to 42 “39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying “If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us”. VS 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him saying “do you not even fear God, seeing that you are under the same condemnation? VS 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing wrong. VS 42 “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord remember me when you come into Your Kingdom” [NKJV]
Brokenness can be many different things:
- Not functioning properly; out of working order
- Something or someone that has been interrupted, disrupted or disconnected
- Incomplete
- To be weakened in strength or spirit
- Reduced to submission
The word “broken” is a verb meaning an action.
The word “brokenness” is a noun meaning the name of something and typically refers to persons, places, animals, things, states or qualities.
In today’s world many times broken things are despised and discarded or thrown out. Anything that has been broken or we no longer need, we throw away. It is not uncommon for damaged or broken goods to be rejected, and that includes people. The world is full of people with broken hearts, broken spirits and broken relationships. Fortunately, we serve a God that is in the recycling business, and God’s people are recyclable.
Believers can experience two kinds of brokenness. The first kind is because of their own actions:
- You brake on your own by sin or sinning
- Here are some areas in our lives that often need to be broken
1. Pride
2. Self will
3. Stubbornness
4. Sinful habits
5. The desire to do it our way and not God’s way
6. Selfish/Self-centered desires
The second kind of brokenness a believer can experience is to be broken by God. Examples:
- The Apostle Paul – on the road to Damascus
- The nation of Israel – 40 years in the wilderness
- Jonah in the belly of a fish – trying to flee from going to Nineveh
When God puts a call on your life to serve Him, you either do it willingly, or God breaks you, and you still wind up doing what he has called you to do. Jonah had to experience brokenness, and then he did what God had called him to do
Make no mistake about it, God has the ability to take that which has been broken and make it whole again. God is able to, Re-make, Re-new, Re-store, Re-cycle and Re-member.
God can put back together that which has been broken. Not only can God make you whole from experiencing brokenness, God can remake (re-member to put back together) you into something better that He can use for His Kingdom and His glory.
There is something about reaching a breaking point that causes some of us to seek the Lord with a sense of urgency. King David was once a broken vessel and he prayed to God “create in me a clean heart, O God and renew (re-member) a steadfast spirit within me”. Psalm 51:10 [NKJV]
- Vs. 12 “restore to me the joy of your salivation. And uphold me by your generous spirit.”
- Vs. 17 “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a repentant heart-these, O God you will not despise.”
Often time’s people who are in the same situation that you are in will try to or make suggestions to you to get both of you out of that situation. They got themselves in but will give you a solution to get them out.
Philippians 3:18 and 19 describes one of the thieves that was crucified with Jesus:
- Vs. 18 “For many walk, of who I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ.
- Vs. 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame – who set their mind on earthly things”.
Notice what the thief says to Jesus in Luke 23 vs 39 “then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.”
Not only does this thief question Jesus’s deity, power and authority, he attempts to temp or use Jesus to get him out of his situation.
Philippians 3:20 and 21 describes the other thief that was crucified with Jesus
- Vs. 20 “for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ
- Vs. 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed (re- membered) to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able to subdue all things (putting back together) to Himself.
Notice what this thief says to Jesus “Lord remember me when you come into your Kingdom”
- He acknowledges Jesus as Lord
- He asks for salvation
- He acknowledges that there is a kingdom
- He also is asking to be remembered! He is asking that Jesus take all that brokenness that he has experienced in life and re-members that brokenness (put back together) with a glorious body like Christ’s 1st Corith 15 Vs. 42,43 and 44
We as believers can take two steps to have brokenness re-membered:
- 1st Matt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
- 2nd John 14:14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it”
As followers of Christ, the reality of experiencing brokenness can sometimes happen on a daily basis. Because of our inclination to sin, sinning can assume a false authority over brokenness in a believer’s life. If we allow sin to dominate ours hearts and mind, brokenness will drain the joy of having a relationship with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
While brokenness is very real, thru the grace of Jesus Christ, brokenness will no longer be our boss or have dominion in a believer’s life.
Jesus has both the power and authority to “re-member” us.
Matt 28:18 “and Jesus spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth”.
Go to Jesus with brokenness, He has the power to “re-member” you…
“Lord Jesus, I believe that You have the power to re-member anything that is broken and heal brokenness. Thank you for putting back together that has been broken. Thank you for sewing, mending and “re-membering”…in Jesus name…Amen!
Continuing in His service…Rev
