LUKE 23:35-43
EACH OF THE GOSPELS TELLS THE STORY OF
JESUS' CRUCIFIXION. ALTHOUGH THE STORIES ARE FOR THE MOST PART
SIMILAR, THERE ARE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES. IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK, IT
SIMPLY SAYS THAT THEY CRUCIFIED TWO ROBBERS, OR MORE ACCURATELY,
REBELS, WITH HIM. IN MATTHEW'S GOSPEL, THE TWO REBELS JOIN IN THE
MOCKERY THAT IS COMING FROM THE CROWD. IN JOHN'S GOSPEL, IT SIMPLY
SAYS THAT THEY CRUCIFIED HIM WITH TWO OTHERS, ONE ON THE RIGHT AND
ONE ON THE LEFT. ONLY IN LUKE DO WE HAVE THE STORY YOU JUST HEARD.
ALL THE EVANGELISTS WROTE THEIR
ACCOUNTS WITH THE INTENTION OF PUTTING FORTH THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING
OF WHO JESUS WAS. LUKE IS ALWAYS AT PAINS TO SHOW THAT JESUS COMES
FOR THE LOWLY, THE OUTCAST, THE WIDOW AND ORPHAN – ALL THOSE AT THE
MARGINS OF SOCIETY. HE ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR THAT JESUS IS THE JUST
MAN, THE ONE WITHOUT FAULT, THE ONE WHO IS THE VERY EXEMPLAR OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE FACT THAT LUKE ALONE TELLS THIS STORY MUST MEAN
THAT IT HAD SPECIAL MEANING TO HIM IN HIS OWN UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS.
THE FIRST THING TO NOTE IS THAT
EVERYONE WAS MOCKING JESUS. LUKE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS THE RULERS,
WHO SAY, “HE SAVED OTHERS; LET HIM SAVE HIMSELF IF HE IS REALLY THE
CHRIST OF GOD, THE CHOSEN ONE.” IN A WAY, THE RULERS LAY DOWN A
CONDITION FOR BELIEF – THAT HE SAVE HIMSELF. THE SOLDIERS, WHO ARE
PROBABLY NOT JEWS, PUT UP A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CONDITION: “IF YOU
ARE THE KING OF THE JEWS, SAVE YOURSELF.” THE SOLDIERS HAVE
CONTEMPT FOR THE JEWS, AND BY THEIR STATEMENT, THEY ARE MOCKING NOT
ONLY JESUS, BUT THE JEWS AS WELL. WE REMEMBER THE SCENE IN JOHN
WHERE PILATE ORDERS THAT THE SIGN OVER JESUS' HEAD READ, “KING OF
THE JEWS” AND THE JEWISH LEADERS PROTEST. PILATE SAYS, “WHAT I
HAVE WRITTEN I HAVE WRITTEN.” BUT IN LUKE, WE NEVER HEAR ABOUT WHY
THE SIGN IS THERE. FOR JOHN, IT REVEALS A HIDDEN TRUTH, THAT JESUS
REALLY IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. FOR LUKE, IT IS SIMPLY MORE MOCKERY,
A SIGN PUT THERE BY THE SOLDIERS.
FINALLY LUKE HAS ONE OF THOSE
CRUCIFIED WITH JESUS JOIN IN THE MOCKERY. NOW I'M NOT SURE I WOULD
CALL THIS MOCKERY. WE HAVE SOMEONE CONDEMNED TO DIE, SAYING “AREN'T
YOU THE CHRIST? SAVE YOURSELF AND US!” LUKE PRECEDES THIS WITH THE
STATEMENT THAT HE HAD BEEN HURLING INSULTS AT JESUS. I WONDER IF
WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS DESPAIR. THE MAN HURLS INSULTS; JESUS DOESN'T
REPLY. THE MAN FINALLY REALIZES THAT HE IS GOING TO DIE, AND WILL
HAVE THE SAME END AS THE ONE ON THE CROSS NEXT TO HIM. BUT IN HIS
DESPAIR, HE STILL REFUSES TO BELIEVE; IF YOU ARE THE CHRIST, SAVE
US.
THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF
JESUS HAD COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS, IF HE HAD SAVED HIMSELF AND THOSE
WHO WERE DYING WITH HIM. THE RELIGION JESUS ESTABLISHED WOULD HAVE
BEEN TURBOCHARGED; EVERYONE IN JERUSALEM WOULD HAVE RUSHED TO BE
BAPTIZED, SOLDIERS, RULERS, AND THIEVES ALIKE. THEY WOULD HAVE MADE
JESUS KING; HOW COULD THEY NOT?
BUT JESUS DOESN'T COME DOWN FROM THE
CROSS; HE CONTINUES TO WRITHE IN AGONY. AND THEN THE SO-CALLED GOOD
THIEF SPEAKS. NOTICE THAT IN HIS SPEECH HE DOES THREE THINGS; FIRST,
HE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE IS ON THE CROSS BECAUSE OF HIS OWN SINS. HE
KNOWS THAT HE DESERVES THE PUNISHMENT; IT IS JUST. SECOND, HE
DECLARES TO ALL THOSE WHO HEAR HIM, THAT JESUS IS INNOCENT; AND THAT
JESUS IS KING. AND THIRD, HE ADMITS THAT HE HIMSELF CANNOT CONTROL
WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM; ONLY JESUS HAS THAT POWER. AND THE GOOD THIEF
THROWS HIMSELF ON JESUS' MERCY, AND DARES TO ASK, “REMEMBER ME WHEN
YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.” THE GOOD THIEF ALONE DOES NOT DEMAND
THAT JESUS SAVE HIM, OR COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS. HE ALONE PROFESSES
FAITH, FAITH THAT JESUS WILL COME INTO HIS KINGDOM, FAITH THAT JESUS
CAN SAVE HIM IF THAT IS HIS WILL.
LUKE WANTS US TO SEE THAT THE GOOD
THIEF IS DOING WHAT EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS TO DO – YOU AND I NEED TO
BE FULLY CONVINCED THAT WE ARE SINNERS, THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO
ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU ARE A SINNER, YOU ARE
SADLY MISTAKEN. THERE ARE PEOPLE DYING BECAUSE YOU DON'T FEED THEM;
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING YOUR CLOTHES IN BANGLADESH FOR A WAGE
THAT CAN BARELY FEED THEM; THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING IN
SIXTEEN HOUR DAYS HARVESTING AND PROCESSING COFFEE BEANS SO THAT YOU
CAN ENJOY A CUP IN THE MORNING. EVEN IF WE LIVE EXEMPLARY LIVES, WE
CAN'T HELP BUT BE PARTICIPANTS IN SIN. AND THAT IS STEP ONE.
WHEN WE FULLY REALIZE THIS, THE NEXT
STEP IS TO RECOGNIZE AND INDEED PROCLAIM, THAT JESUS IS THE ANSWER.
IF WE DON'T SPEAK OUT THAT WE BELIEVE, THEN JESUS HAS PROMISED THAT
IF WE WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE HIM HEAR AND NOW, HE WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE US
BEFORE HIS FATHER. THE GOOD THIEF SPOKE OUT, AT LEAST TO THE OTHER
THIEF, THAT JESUS INNOCENT, AND THAT JESUS WAS KING. AND FINALLY, WE
HAVE TO REALLY THROW OURSELVES ON HIS MERCY. MOST OF US THINK THAT
BY LIVING GOOD LIVES AND AVOIDING PERSONAL SIN WE ARE OWED HEAVEN.
BUT NOT SO. OUR HOPE OF BEING IN PARADISE DEPENDS ENTIRELY IN JESUS
MERCY. THE GOOD THIEF KNEW THAT.
ONE COMMENTATOR POINTED OUT THAT LUKE
TELLS THIS STORY SO THAT WE WILL KNOW THAT JESUS' EXTENDS HIS MERCY
EVEN TO THIEVES AND REBELS, EVEN UP TO THE POINT OF DEATH. IT IS
NEVER TOO LATE; AND NO ONE IS EVER SO FAR GONE THAT HE CANNOT BE
RESCUED. BUT LUKE ALSO REMINDS US THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN
LOSE WHAT JESUS WANTS TO OFFER US; THE OTHER THIEF SHOWS US THAT EVEN
IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS, WE CAN JOIN IN THE MOCKERY, WE CAN DEMAND A
MIRACLE, WE CAN REFUSE TO BELIEVE; AND WE RISK BEING LOST.
THIS GOSPEL IS GIVEN TO US ON THE
SUNDAY WE ACKNOWLEDGE CHRIST AS KING. BUT WE DON'T SEE A GOLDEN
CROWN OR SILKEN ROBES OR A JEWELED THRONE ROOM; WE SEE A CONDEMNED
MAN DYING ON A CROSS. BUT IF WE LOOK CLOSELY, IF WE LOOK BEYOND WHAT
IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES, WE SEE THAT THIS MAN IS IN CONTROL,
THAT THIS MAN CAN ASSURE US THAT THIS DAY WE WILL BE WITH HIM IN
PARADISE. THE GOOD THIEF SAW THIS. MAY YOU AND I SEE IT WHEN WE ARE
DYING AS WELL.
