He was the cold man. He was the tough guy. He was the man who would rather die than cry. He had never shed a single tear ever since he first became a man. There was not a single evil deed he would hesitate to do, nor was there a single act of kindness he wanted to do. He was strong and arrogant; he was full of confidence in himself, and what his hands could do for him.
He was a sad, little boy. He was a child of tears. He was someone who screamed and shouted for the help that never came. He was the one who had shed tears no one saw, and dealt with pains that no one cured. He was the sad, trouble, pained little boy that screamed and screamed for help but people were all too busy in their lives to even hear him.
He was the rebellious teenager no one could understand. He was so full of anger that no one could ever stop. He fought with his fists when things went wrong. He hardened his muscles, he strengthened his might, he had become his own god.
He was the prisoner that the world ignored. He was the convicted criminal waiting for death to call. He was the forgotten face, a forgotten man no one could recall. He was about to vanish, he was about to cease, he was about to disappear from this world and no one would miss him.
But somewhere, sometimes, in some place, one man knew it all.
One man loved and one man cared and one man went to the cross for him.
One man saw the sad, little boy.
One man knew the angry teenager.
One man forgave the hopeless and condemned man.
One man died to give him life.
In the prison, a place of tears, the final destination in this world for the cold man no one knew or cared, hope came.
The cold man melted at the power of love. The angry teenager relaxed at the warmth that touched his heart. The sad, little boy knew he was heard and loved. He was not so lonely as he thought he was. The cruel and condemned criminal was forgiven. He was washed clean forever by the blood of that one man who loved him all.
The cold man walked with courage to his execution, with a peace that no one could understand. A smile on his face, he walked to his death, to meet his Savior Jesus, the one man who gave all for a criminal like him.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
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