“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? 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.’” Luke 23:39-41
Jesus was crucified between two thieves, a term used by the Jewish historian Josephus to describe Jewish rebels who sought to overthrow the Roman government. Such a criminal is designated as “one plundering by violence.” This picture of the repentant thief rebuking the other thief serves to highlight the magnitude of his need and the depth of God’s grace. Such a portrayal described our position before we accepted God’s mercy. Romans 5:6-11 reminds us we were ungodly when Jesus died for us; we were God’s enemies. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gifts of forgiveness and eternal life!
What is missing from Luke’s account of the crucifixion is the repentant thief initially joined the other thief in insulting Jesus (Mark 15:32). And why not? If Jesus was the Messiah, surely He had the power to save Himself as well as the two thieves. The three crucified men were dying, and God seemed powerless and absent at this time. So, the question that begs to be answered in all of this is why did the repentant thief change his mind? We know Jesus died before the other two (John 19:32-33), which means that both thieves heard all the words Jesus spoke, none more shocking than His first statement: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34). How could one who had been crucified forgive the ones who had crucified him?
I don’t claim to understand the details of how God’s sovereignty works with human free will. But the picture of the two thieves is all too familiar. One person hears these words of Jesus without any impact, leading to a refusal of forgiveness and salvation, whether demonstrated in a vehement rejection of Christ’s offer or a simple “I don’t care.” Much is the pity as such a snub prevents the person from inheriting eternal life; they continue their journey to eternal damnation or hell, a topic we don’t like to talk about.
But the other thief—our thief on the cross—takes note of Jesus’ words. As our passage for today reports, he rebukes the one who continues to insult Jesus by reminding him that they are dying because they are guilty; but Christ—the “man on the middle cross”—is innocent, “He had done nothing wrong.”
Someone or something has convinced (convicted?) the repentant thief that there is something different about Jesus, something inviting that has penetrated his heart. He is sensing that the good he has heard about the “King of the Jews” is true; that is, Jesus represents the life that God desires. In other words, the man in the middle is actually a king and His kingdom is not of this world. It was at this moment that the repentant thief realized a life-changing truth though to him it may have seemed too little too late.
Submitted by Dr. Rich Menninger
Prayer Dear Lord, may we never think it is too late to discover Your acceptance. In the Name of the One who leaves His arms open for as long as we live. Amen.