His Promise Will Not Fail


He was a year younger than me. We had been friends since childhood, belonging to the same Boy Scout troop.

I conducted his funeral last week.

There is an odd feeling that comes over you as you look into a casket and see a familiar face. I have done it before, of course: family members, neighbors, church members. But when it is an old friend, and memories go racing back to Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and just plain “hanging out” together, it really has an effect.

I was able to share the words of Jesus at the funeral, “In My Father’s house are many mansions…” (John 14:2). Mansions are not built to be landmarks. They are built as homes, dwellings. Luxurious homes at that. And this is just one metaphor that describes the wonderful place the Bible calls Heaven. One thing for sure – Heaven is a real place. Otherwise, there would be no mention of it by Jesus (“I go to prepare a place for you…”) and certainly no metaphors attempting to describe it. Heaven is referred to quite frequently in scripture. When a metaphor is used it is because our minds are too small to fully understand this wonderful place.

The Bible also refers to Heaven as “paradise.” This word is interesting. In ancient times it was used to picture a manicured garden, with trees and flowers as well as herbs and, occasionally, vegetables. A paradise was a place for rest and physical, emotional refreshment. Then later, by the time of Julius Caesar, it became descriptive of the garden of a king or provincial ruler. Apparently the rulers were the only ones who could afford a beautiful, manicured garden. Their gardens were set in contrast to the garden of the common person, which would be very plain and practical, providing food rather than refreshment. The ruler’s garden, the paradise, would be unimaginably splendid to the common man. The commoner would not be able to see it, for the paradise would be behind walls. But the king’s servants would communicate to all how very luxurious the king’s garden was, in contrast to the average family’s vegetable patch. The ruler’s garden would have fragrant flowers, fruit producing trees with blossoms in the spring, a shade tree or two, vines and undoubtedly a fountain. This would provide a refreshing and stimulating environment. In reality, the commoner could only imagine and never actually realize the splendor of the king’s garden.

When Jesus told the dying thief, “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), it was an overwhelming thought. That repentant, believing thief had no idea what was in store for him. “Eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

The dying thief had no idea of the beautiful, refreshing and inspiring garden to which he was going, or of the mansion – home that awaited him. Neither do we.

But we know that such a place awaits the follower of Christ. He has promised it to us.

His promise will not fail.