Skip to main content

Seven Last Words - With Me


Seven Last Words
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Jesus is crucified between criminals. These folks are called thieves in Scripture, but the word used, lestes, might more accurately be translated as “robber.” A robber doesn't just take things surreptitiously like a thief might. A robber confronts his victims and may well use violence or even murder to take what they want. These two weren't second story men or petty thieves being crucified for taking someone’s VCR. These guys were violent men who may have been part of Barabbas’ group of insurrectionists.

I review all that to shed some light on who these guys were. They would have fit in the list of people Paul has told us would “never enter the Kingdom of God.”  These were men who had committed considerable crimes.

Unfortunately, they had been caught by on e of the most brutal regimes the world has known. Not only was life worth very little, but it could be taken seemingly at a whim by those in power.
We find them mounted on crosses as examples, on either side of Jesus on this Friday. They’re guilty and they know it; they’re guilty and they’re going to die today. One of them join in with the crowds, the Romans, the Jewish leaders and mocks Jesus.  He’s not observant, he’s not listening. He goes along with the crowd and rails against Jesus.

The other robber is a bit more observant; more on the ball so to speak. He’s either heard of this Jesus, or maybe he sees Jesus’ behavior on the cross and sees something that changes his view. Whatever it was, this robber acknowledges two things: 1)  they are guilty and Jesus isn't  2) Jesus is God. This robber interrupts the first one’s jeering and asks Jesus to remember him when He comes in His kingdom.

Jesus’ response is essentially, “OK.” This robber will be with Jesus.

Reflection
Jesus is crucified between two criminals who behave and speak to Jesus in two different ways. How does the difference in their behaviors reflect the choice we have to make about Jesus?

These men are likely guilty of violent crimes against multiple people and may be insurrectionists against Rome. How do you react to the first robber; the one who mocked Jesus?

How do you react to the second robber? If your reactions are different, why are they different?

The second robber’s response to Jesus is largely a “death bed confession.” What is your reaction to death bed confessions?

What does it mean to you that Jesus apparently forgives this robber without any special rites or requirements?

Following are discussion last week of forgiveness, how does this interaction inform your understanding of God’s forgiveness and mercy for people who have had violent histories?

What do you need to do?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wineskins II

       In chapter 16 of Matthew, Peter ‘makes the great confession’ - Jesus he says is the Son of the Living God. At Covenant, when someone wants to become a member or to be baptized, we ask them who Jesus is and we expect this response. Peter is correct when he says this, but it is not clear that Peter (or the other disciples) understood the ramifications of his statement. Following Peter’s statement we find a series of incidents that make us wonder just how much Peters actually believed what he had said.      In the first instance, Jesus compares Peter to Satan. Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to Jerusalem and there he will die. Peter exclaims that he will not let that happen; Jesus will not be killed. Peter is expecting great things from Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God on behalf of Israel and he cannot fit Jesus dying into his hope for a greater Israel under this Messiah. This cannot happen, he reasons. Jesus’s response is a harsh re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Naaman's Dipping and Requests

The familiar story of Naaman dipping in the Jordan is a story with more than a few twists. Let's review the story first. Naaman we are told had been used by YHWH to punish Israel and our story describes him as a man of valor in high regard by his boss, the King of Syria the current thorn in the side of Israel. It turns out though that Naaman suffers from some sort of leprosy.  On one of Syria's raids into Israel, the Syrians captured an Jewish girl who had found her way into Naaman's household as a servant for his wife. Knowing of Naaman's illness, she suggests to her matron that there is a prophet in Israel who could help him. This message gets transmitted to Naaman who takes it to his boss. The boss - the king of Syria, tells Naaman to travel to Israel and gives him a letter to Israel's king directing that Naaman be healed. Upon Naaman's arrival in Israel he gives the letter to Israel's king who reacts in a panic. He does not even consider finding t...
4 comments
Read more

Freewheeling

Merton never disappoints. Here's an excerpt from "Love and Living," a collection of individual writings collected after his death in 1968: "Life consists in learning to live on one's own, spontaneous, freewheeling; to do this one must recognize what is one's own—be familiar and at home with oneself. This means basically learning who one is, and learning what one has to offer to the contemporary world, and then learning how to make that offering valid." This short passage is pregnant with meaning and spiritual insight (would we expect anything less?). Let's start with the last few words: "…make that offering valid." The offering of ourselves, of our lives is our calling. We offer ourselves to assist the re-creation of Creation; the reconciling of Man to God. The validity of our offering is measured in how closely we mirror the work of God; to what extent our motivations are based on knowing who we are rather than a slavish obedience to p...
4 comments
Read more