Forget me not

https://odb.org/2025/04/18/to-be-remembered

Luke 23:39–43 (NIV): 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The story is that when God was naming flowers, the little flower was worried that God would forget it and blurted out – forget me not! God then named them “Forget Me Not!” Of course, this is folk tale, but it is an interesting story.

In the Gospel, there is the real story of two criminals who were to be crucified with Jesus as recorded in Luke 22:39-43. One mocked Jesus to save them and Himself since He is the Messiah. But the other defended Jesus that while they deserved their sentence because of their deeds, Jesus had done nothing wrong. The second criminal, having faith in the innocence of Christ and believing Christ to be the Messiah, asked Jesus to remember him when Christ comes into His kingdom. In other words, don’t forget him when He really becomes the King. Jesus assured him that he would be with Him in paradise that day itself. So even though he will die, he will live (John 11:25).

For us who are justified by faith in our faith and belief in Jesus Christ, our salvation is assured since we know salvation is a free gift from God. It is not by works of man. Nevertheless, faith without works or good deeds is dead. See James 2:17. If we look at the parable of talents personally taught by Jesus, we will see that there is an expectation that we do something with the life given to us. We are not to hide the talent that represents our lives and the giftings God gave us. We need to put it to work. Practically, it means that we need to serve God and live our lives in accordance with His Word and fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives. We need to be like Paul and declare that to die is gain, but to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21). Simply said, we live for Christ and not for ourselves or our own ambitions and dreams even as we align and sanctify our ambitions and dreams with God’s plans and purposes for our lives.

When we die one day, there will not be that need to make that plea – forget me not. We were in constant contact with Christ when we were living, praying, and speaking to Him in our quiet time. When we pass away in the body, it will just be a transition to another dimension into the spiritual realm. We will see Christ face to face. One day, we will live with Christ and Father God in the new heaven and new earth where there will not be any tears or night as the glory of God will fill the place. We will be rightful citizens of the new heaven and new earth as our names are written in the Book of Life!