The Passion Week story is filled with characters that we could, and perhaps should, spend time examining because they illustrate the human race of every historical age.
The status quo is present in the persons of the Pharisees and Sanhedrin. Every age of history has such people - religious or not. They are the ones with the power, influence, and wealth. They have gotten to where they are either by heritage or honest hard work or dishonesty and illegal means. And they sometimes are not about to let others have a share of what they have. They see Jesus as a threat that is to be eliminated.
There are those at the opposite ends from the status quo in every age. They are the disenfranchised. They are the revolutionaries. They seek to change the system. They are present in some of the disciples like Judas or in people who stand in the shadows of the towns and villages through which Jesus walked and cared while on His way to Jerusalem. They are out to change the system. They see Jesus as their hope for big changes of a revolutionary nature.
Then there are those who are there because they are simply in that place and time at that place and time. They are present in the Roman Soldiers who beat Jesus and nail Him to the cross. They are there because that is where their orders sent them. It is their tour of duty. Jesus is just another person who is being executed. They could care less who is being executed. They are carrying out orders.
Then there are the two thieves who will hang next to Jesus. Where do we place them? Where do we see them in relation to the human race? How do they view Jesus?
We could argue that they are a part of revolutionaries who seek major change by trying to overthrow the Roman government. They may even argue that they were framed for their offenses because of their political connections.
Or we could argue that they are simply there because of the choices they made and were caught and are facing the punishment. Haley notes, “crucifixion was Rome’s punishment for slaves, foreigners, and criminals who were not Roman citizens.” And Leon-Dufour concurs with Haley when he says; “It was applied to slaves and non-citizens (in the case of a revolt, or theft or murder), sometimes to citizens (in the case of high treason).” But no matter what the reason, they were found guilty and were sentenced to death.
Who were these two men? We know little about them but their responses to Jesus while hanging alongside Him says volumes about who they are and about us because the two thieves represent the two basic responses to Christ that are common to all of human history.
In our text for this morning, Luke 23:32-43, we notice the following about these two men:
1. They hung alongside Jesus.
2. They both observed the intense mockery and ridicule of Jesus.
3. They both heard him called in jest, “The King of the Jews.”
4. One thief joins in the horrific and merciless verbal abuse of Jesus challenging Him to save Himself and them from death.
5. The other thief rebukes his cohort by reminding him that they are deserving of their punishment while Jesus is not deserving of His.
Have you ever wondered what these thieves experienced during the last week of their lives? We have a record of how Jesus spent His last week before His death. But, we don’t really know how these two spent the last week of their lives.
They could have spent the last week of their lives trying to appeal their case before Roman authorities. They could have had the best defense team possible to try and stay their executions.
They could have launched a large media campaign trying to portray themselves as innocent bystanders who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. They could have portrayed themselves as good kids gone bad. Misguided misfits who need to pay for what they did, but who also need to get some help and positive attention.
Or maybe they spent their last week stealing and barely missed getting caught until they did get caught and arrested and tried. Maybe they kept saying, “Just one more time and then we quit stealing.” But, they could not quit and their greed finally got them.
Maybe they were in the crowd on Palm Sunday looking for opportunities to steal while the crowds gathered to welcome Jesus. Maybe they were from the countryside and were glad for the large crowds gathering for the Passover celebration because they would increasing their wealth. Or maybe they were so poor and in such dire need that thievery was their only means of making a living.
These were somebody’s children. They mattered to someone. Perhaps, like Mary, their mothers stood nearby and observed their slow and painful death. They also mattered to Jesus.
We don’t know about their last week on earth. We can only speculate. But it is in this Biblical account that we have heard this morning that we learn the most important thing about these two thieves. We learn their choice about whether or not they are going to let Jesus into their lives.
Why did the one choose to mock Jesus and die, as far as we know, unrepentant? Why did he reject the opportunity to ask for Jesus to “remember” him this day?
Why did the other choose to be repentant and ask to be remembered in the Kingdom? What was it that made him rebuke his fellow criminal?
As I have meditated on this passage I can see the talk shows and the news casts and Dr Phil and Oprah all point to relational and psychological reasons for the choices they made that led them to this point of their lives. I can see a parade of psychologists and psychiatrists and social workers and educators and a whole bunch of other people parading before the microphones and TV cameras to give their insight as to why these two men were who they were and why they responded to Jesus like they did.
Some would say, “They had issues with authority.” “They had problems with their fathers.” “They were neglected.”
But, the real reason they ended up where they did is personal. The real reason is deep within their souls. It is a spiritual reason.
It is more than a case of dysfunctional relationships although dysfunctional relationships have spiritual roots. (Cain and Abel is an illustration of this). It is more than an authority issue as well. (Although Absolom and David illustrate this.) It is about a basic choice to allow God to be a part of our lives, or not.
In verses 40 - 41, two good clues are present as to why the one criminal, the one thief, seeks Jesus’ forgiveness.
“Don’t you fear God even when you are dying?” “We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” These words indicate a spiritual awakening has taken place in the soul of this man. Perhaps he knew of and about Jesus for quite a while.
Maybe he had witnessed Jesus doing a miracle. Maybe he had talked with Jesus, perhaps at length, some point in Jesus’ ministry. Maybe he had been a part of the crowd as recorded by Luke in chapter 9 and verses 57 - 62 who had wanted to follow Jesus but found it to be too hard to do at that time in his life. But, by this point he is aware of who Jesus truly is by his desire to remembered when Jesus enters His Kingdom.
Now time is short. Life is about over. And the man responds to Jesus in the closing moments of his life.
It is his honest confession about his own guilt and the guiltless of Jesus as well as his own fear, respect, and recognition of God that creates the opening in his heart and soul through which God goes to him and he to God. And Jesus assures him that “today you will be with me in paradise.”
We really know nothing about these two thieves. But, what we do know is that they choose to respond to Jesus in two different ways at a critical moment in their lives. One chose to reject Him and one choose to accept Him.
These two thieves represent the human race of all human history that have a choice to make when they encounter Jesus Christ. It is a choice that each of us must make, not just once, but over and over throughout our lives.
If this was your final week, like the thieves, how would you spend it? And would God have a place in it? Would you be open to God and recognize your guilt and your need for God?
This morning we are going to conclude with a moment of silent prayer. The altar is open if you would like to use it.
As we pray let’s allow God into our hearts and lives so that we do not wait until the last possible moment to let Him in then. And let us think about Jesus’ last week and all those who were a part of that time and their responses to Jesus.
This was the final week of two sons. One died without God. One died with God. But, it was also the final week in which God’s only Son died so that all the sons and daughters of Adam could be in paradise for ever and ever, Amen.
