Year C. Christ the King Luke 23: 33-43 November 25, 2001
Title: “There is “more,” always more than the surface reality.”
Jesus is crucified between two criminals and insulted by Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers and one of the criminals. The inscription over his head, both his title and his “crime,” reads “King of the Jews.”
The last recorded words of Jesus before he began his determined and fateful journey to Jerusalem were, “whoever is not against you is for you.” In that context Jesus was responding to John about someone exorcising a demon in Jesus’ name who was not one of their company, Presumably, the man did not know Jesus explicitly, yet he invoked his name to do good. John tried to stop him, unsuccessfully. Jesus taught that unless a person is explicitly and consciously against Jesus and what he stands for he or she should be presumed to be “with” him. Luke picks up this theme at the end of Jesus’ journey, right before he is to depart on another journey- into Paradise. One of the criminals shows himself to be like the well-intentioned exorcist and Jesus accepts him into his kingdom on that basis. Luke uses irony as a technique to make his points in a way that would rival John’s use. In a way he exceeds John by contrasting and comparing the irony with sarcasm.
In verse thirty-five, the people stood by, watching, instead of a description of the mockery by the passerby which we find in Mark 15: 29f., Luke records simply that the people stood watching. He resists the temptation to point out that their silence could be considered as a form of consent. Instead, he appears to give them the benefit of the doubt and group them with those who sympathize with Jesus. Executions were popular in those days and doubtless many came out for this one.
The rulers, meanwhile, scoffed at him. Luke clearly wants to highlight the complicity and responsibility of the Jewish leaders in the unjust crucifixion of Jesus.
“He saved others; let him save himself. “Save,” appears three times in this periscope, here and in verses thirty-seven and thirty-nine. Luke wants to highlight that Jesus was crucified as “savior.” In this taunt we see sarcasm and irony compared and contrasted. The leaders could not be more sarcastic in what they believe to be an impossible challenge. “Let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one, in other words, prove you are a savior by saving yourself. And the irony could not be stronger either. Jesus came to save others, not himself, and that is what he was actually doing.
“The chosen one, the Messiah of God.” Sarcastically, the rulers use two titles, which Jesus rarely used of himself. They certainly did not believe this blasphemer was either chosen or anointed. Rather he was rejected and condemned. Ironically, what humans rejected God has “chosen,” and what humans have condemned God had “anointed.”
In verse thirty-six, soldiers offer him sour wine. This would be the sour wine, ochos in Greek, the common wine of soldiers, as opposed to sweet wine, oinos, commonly preferred wine. We read of Jesus being offered drugged wine, which he refused, in Matthew 27: 24 and Mark 15: 23 and of his being given vinegar, sharp or sour wine, just before his death in John 19:29, but Luke alone tells us that the soldiers used it in connection with some sort of mockery of their own. Luke is grouping them among those who consciously are against Jesus. Possibly, they are meant to represent pagans or Gentiles who, unlike the exorcist in Luke 9:50 and the repentant criminal of verse forty, are not “with” Jesus, not in or of his company.
In verse thirty-seven, “if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” To the “save yourself” taunt the soldiers add a further sarcastic remark. Pilate had “king of the Jews,” placed on the cross of Jesus just above his head to indicate the reason for his condemnation and sentence of death. He meant it sarcastically, a jibe at the Jewish leaders who insisted on this innocent man’s death, an innocence Pilate recognized. The soldiers also meant it sarcastically. Ironically, and irony is a truth told without meaning to, Jesus actually was the king of the Jews. Of course, he would not come down from the cross in the way they were challenging him. After all, that is why he came in the first place. Ironically, many would come to him through the cross, and because of the cross.
In verse thirty-nine, one of the criminals there kept deriding Jesus. More sarcasm and this from one right beside him in the same circumstances. Only now, it is, “Save yourself and us.” This man was interested in his own fate, not that of Jesus. He clearly represents those who never heard of Jesus but would reject him if and when they do hear of him. The evidence for this rejection is their very lives. They live in contradiction to all Jesus holds true and holy. To the end they are unrepentant. Conscious of their own wrongdoing they refuse to accept responsibility for it. They maintain that others are to blame for their plight and they are “justified,” in behaving as they do because of the behavior of others towards them. Such folks have a twisted and perverted version of justice as a “right to get even,” even more than even, for all the “wrongs,” real or imagined, done them.
This criminal represents all those who have resentments of the past and holds on to them in an unforgiving manner.
In verses forty and forty-one, the evidence of one’s past life does not automatically spell condemnation. The other criminal preaches to the first one that their death sentence is a just one, unlike that of this middle fellow who is innocent. How the criminal knew of Jesus’ innocence is not explained and should not distract from the story line. He is representative of the group of people who are not consciously against Jesus. And those who do have a fear of the future. His admission of guilt and acceptance of just punishment is the beginning of metanoia, a change of heart, even at this eleventh hour. He may not understand Jesus in any theological sense, but his basic human decency motivates him to sympathize with him. He can see the difference between Jesus and himself and the other criminal. Externally they may look the same, but there is more to Jesus than meets the eye. He has contacted that “more,” and responds. His heart is melted, finally.
In verse forty-two, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Amidst all the personal humiliation and mockery the other criminal speaks to Jesus as he would to a king. But more than an earthly king. He requests to be remembered, implying, remembered for good, when Jesus gets past all this and is seen for who and what he really is. There is no question about the criminal being able to do anything to merit this gracious remembrance. He is soon to die, unable to do anything good, except turn his heart to Jesus. This representative of the kind of person Jesus has come to save, one of the dregs of human society, is the only one who treats Jesus humanely. To other human eyes this crucified reject looks like anything but a king. Yet, he recognizes in Jesus, his way of dying and his way of living, however he came across that knowledge, makes clear to him that his life and that of every follower of Jesus transcends this life and the death, which ends it.
In verse forty-three, Amen, or Truly, I say to you. This solemn phrase is a marker for a significant pronouncement. Also, absent quotation marks in ancient writing, this phrase served that function. We are as close to the exact words of Jesus as we can expect to be when we encounter this phrase introducing a pronouncement.
Today: “Today” is a technical term in Luke to indicate the beginning of the era of salvation. Jesus’ death ends the old era and opens the new. This criminal will accompany Jesus into that new age at his death as well. In Luke’s perspective whenever the final coming of the Son of Man happens for the whole world, something similar happens for the individual at death. To be with Jesus in Paradise is the goal of every Christian.
Sermon
Things are not always, maybe not ever, what they appear to be. There is more to everything than what meets the eye. These two maxims sum up the Christian’s experience of looking at reality from the eternal perspective. There is “more,” always more than the surface reality and the “fleshly” interpretation of it. Jesus himself was fond of pointing this out in his own oft-quoted maxims comparing what is the case now with what will be the case “then”- exalted now, humbled then, humbled now, exalted then; laugh now, cry then, poor now, rich then. Even the “now and then” do not refer only to temporal periods for Jesus, for what will be the case “then” is already “now” being experienced by Christians.
Jesus certainly did not appear to be the king of anything or, having on the cross, the savior of anyone. He “appeared” weak, humiliated, etc., the very opposite of what one would expect. Yet, the truth, the irony was and is that there was more to Jesus than meets the eye. Only one fellow in Luke’s crucifixion scene saw it. We can safely presume that this criminal did not have any great theological grasp of who Jesus was. He really represents those who have little or no knowledge of, education in or experience with Jesus throughout his lifetime. But, at this last moment, he recognizes this something “more,” and without knowing what exactly that “more,” is, he responds in a way different from the way he has responded to life and reality throughout his life. This experience changed him in a way he doubtless would be at a loss to explain. Whatever else it was, it was, at least, a humane response to a wrongly defamed person. Perhaps, he initially only intended to soften the impact of the taunts of the others. Perhaps he thought Jesus suffered from delusions of grandeur, but still wanted to comfort the only one the others were adding insult to injury to. In doing so, in being compassionate, he got more than he bargained for, asked for, and imagined. He got what we all want- to be with Jesus now and forever. Implicitly, he recognized Jesus as his king.
“King” connotes monarchy, “one ruler.” There can be only one ruler in our life. We must get off our throne and allow Jesus to preside and predominate. We must move out of the master bedroom, the center of our hearts and lives and make room for the Lord. The two criminals show us the difference in attitudes toward life. The first one, hanging on his cross, in dire straits, still would not give up control. He continued to mock others, to object to the way things really are. To the bitter end he tried to manipulate others to get things to go his way, even when he knew they would not. Jesus was not coming down from the cross to save him on his terms. He continued to be a gullible “king,” fooled by appearances. This throneless Jesus looked more to him like a joker than a king.
The other criminal was finally ready to give up the ruse. He and his companion deserved what they were getting after all. He admits guilt and takes responsibility for his life. He is ready to surrender. But, to whom? One of the things which prevents people from surrendering, giving up control of their lives, is that they have not a clue who to surrender to. There is Jesus. He surrenders to him. He de-thrones himself, no royal talk like the other fellow, only compassion for Jesus. He abdicates and not a moment too soon!
Now, the point is: If a non-Christian would be able to surrender to Jesus if given the chance, why is it that lifetime Christians cannot or do not? What is so great about our thrones, our kingdoms, that we will not surrender them?
The destiny of the Christian transcends this life and its petty kingdoms. That destiny is freely granted by the Savior-King to anyone who is repentant, who abused justice in any way, who exercised dominion over creation and creatures in any domineering way, who used God-given power and authority in any arbitrary way. Jesus offers us much more than lordship over a petty banana republic. He offers us a life with him now and in the unending future. Amen.
