Missed Opportunity

Opportunity- Fit or convenient time; a time favorable for the purpose; suitable time combined with other favorable circumstances. Have you ever missed an opportunity? I am sure we all have, but at the time you didn’t think it was such a good opportunity and you may have said to yourself “I’ll just wait.” There was a day when three men were condemned to die; I have often wondered what goes through one’s mind when they are facing death for their actions. I have also wondered if someone came to them and told them they could be forgiven, even in their midnight hour would they listen. These three men that were on their way to the death chamber I wonder what was on their mind? Well, we have a record of what was on their minds. Three men, all condemned, two were guilty as charged. There was one that was not guilty but all would die. Two were dying because of their thievery; the other was dying because He claimed He was the Son of God. On that day a golden opportunity was missed, missed forever, a bad decision that he hasn’t forgotten unto this day. What happened? We have recorded what was on those three men’s mind that day? One was thinking only of himself and how he could get free.

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, (Jesus) saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

The other thief was thinking about what would happen after he died. Was there a place called hell, was there a place called heaven and if so he knew that heaven wasn’t going to be his home. He had an opportunity and asked a question, he had nothing to lose and everything to gain so he asked.

Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

The answer came back, YES!

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  What? Did Jesus not know what this man had done and that he was guilty as charged.

This third man, what was He thinking? Well He was thinking of others. He had forgiven everyone there for what they had done unto Him. The ones that spit in His face, those that gambled for His clothes, those that accused Him and even those who wanted Him dead so much that they were willing to be guilty of His blood. They went one more step even on their children, oh my, what an answer. What hate and yes, He forgave them too.

Matthew 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. One of the things that made that day so sad is the opportunity that was missed. Here we see a man who could have went to paradise just as his friend did. Unfortunately no, he was more interested in the present and he missed the future. I see it from time to time myself; I’ll ask a question like “if you died today do you know for sure that heaven would be your home?” More times than I’d like to hear the answer is I hope so. I might at that point say “do you ever remember a time when you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart? To which I may hear I’m not sure. Ok, I can’t answer for anyone but myself. There was a day that I had an opportunity and on that day I much like that dying thief realized that I had no hope and that I was a sinner and I asked Jesus Christ to forgive me of my sins and He did. To this day I haven’t forgotten what He did for me. Do I remember? Oh yes, like it was yesterday and when death comes; and it will I have the same promise that thief had “today thou shall be with me in paradise.” The Apostle Paul put it this way:

2Corinthains 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

I can’t answer for you, only you can do that, but don’t miss the opportunity like that thief did for if you do you will have made the same mistake.