The Thief

When Christ was on the cross, there were two men on either side of Him, one accepted Him, knowing that he himself was a sinner and that he needed to ask for forgiveness. The other was a hardened criminal, with an even harder heart. He didn't show remorse for his deeds, and he certainly seemed to make it clear that he didn’t need Jesus to "save" him. He rejected his last opportunity to make his life right before a forgiving God.

If you think about it, these two men represent a lot of us, on either side of the struggle between good and evil. One side seeks forgiveness and a change within ourselves and our motives; the other side is self-serving, mocking all that is good and seeking only the pleasures of life without the responsibilities.

I can imagine these two men might have started out life much the same. Two little boys with dreams of becoming someone great when they grew up. But somewhere along the way, one learned about respect, and honor before your family. The value of good actions and outcomes. The other little boy learned that if he wanted something bad enough, he could just take it. He needed to be tough. He would steal or cheat his way to what he wanted regardless of it being deserved or earned. No one else's feelings or needs outweighed his own. Although they both ended up on a cross as scorned and convicted thieves, there was a difference in their final hours. I believe somewhere in the one man's life, he was blessed with a caring person, maybe a mom or a dad, or a sibling that continued to tell him about the good that they saw in him. That he could be more than he was allowing himself to be. I am sure that by the time Jesus saw him on that cross next to Him, this man was remembering all of the times that someone had told him, “You are more than a thief, more than a bad, uncaring person”. And Jesus saw it too.

If we can open up our own hearts and minds for a minute, and truthfully analyze our own motives, which of the thieves would we be? It’s a sure thing that we are all selfish in our own way. That we all deserve punishment for being disobedient servants. Yes, we represent both of the thieves that died that day. We are the rebels, the ones that don’t want to admit that we are wrong. The failed mothers and fathers. We are the children that have made poor choices and ended up with consequences that we never believed would be ours to bear. The ones that say, “God cannot love me now, I am the one that nailed Him there.” “I deserve everything I get”. And we’d be correct to say that. On our own, without the forgiving grace of Jesus, we don’t deserve saving, and we certainly don’t deserve a heavenly promise of beautiful streets of gold and everlasting happiness.

I am so thankful that the second thief took his last minutes here on this earth to allow God to teach us a lesson through his words from the cross. In his last moments, he was willing to be used as a teaching vessel for thousands who came after him, including you and me. This thief looked at Jesus and said, remember me when you get to your kingdom.

In his heart he knew that he wasn’t worthy of being forgiven, but in Jesus, he had found something more than a teacher, he had found a merciful Savior. Someone who didn’t see just the outside, but knew him on the inside.

Have you ever wondered about some people who seem to live their lives any way they want? They don’t live Godly lives. Don’t follow moral or ethical standards for their entire life. Then suddenly, when they are faced with death, the finality of this world, they give their lives over to God and recant all of their worldly living. Do you find yourself a little jealous of their last-minute confession? Maybe even a little angry with God that He would let them “off the hook” like this. Especially since you have worked so hard for many years to live your life as a Christian. Truthfully, I have had most, if not all of these thoughts.

Through the words and actions of Jesus though, with the willing and humble thief on the cross with Him that day, we are all assured that He does not wish anyone to perish. Even those that have rejected Him year after year. If you are like the many people that tell me time and time again, it’s too late for me, I’ve been this way too long; Or, the church would fall down if I went through the front door, I am long past saving, I remind you of the thief on that day. His life culminated in a public display of criminal conviction. Beaten and tortured with the intent to make him suffer, and put on display to warn others against his chosen lifestyle, this man was not beyond the caring and forgiving reach of God. It was the attitude and choice of each man that day, hanging there on each side of Jesus, where they would spend eternity. One chose to end his life the way he lived it, rebelling and selfish. The other chose to be humble and accept a magnificent gift from a loving God.

No matter which thief you are, the lesson here is this, you can change. No routine is too permanent, and no sin is too great. There is no cave so deep, or sky vast enough, to consume the grace and forgiveness intended for you and your life. Even if life is almost done, your place in His kingdom is there, waiting for your heart to accept it. Wouldn’t it be more comforting to us at some point in the future not to say to ourselves, I wish that I had been serving God sooner in my life. I wish that I could have used those years to make an impact for God on my children’s lives or my co-workers? If I could only go back in time and save my marriage by following my spouse to church or let go of that addiction using the strength, grace, and forgiveness of God.

Through the actions of that thief, we are taught a very powerful lesson, that though it’s not the best plan to put off accepting Jesus as your teacher, mentor, and savior, it isn’t a deal breaker either. Don’t be jealous of those that repent and find their way to a heavenly home at the last minute. It’s those people that I feel sorry for. Why? Because they lived an entire lifetime without the peace and comfort that comes from having a personal relationship with God. That was the entire plan for Jesus; to loosen the reign of religiosity and man-made rules on what was meant to be an interaction of love, respect, and forgiveness.

Living in our time, only knowing the Word of God, and not seeing the teachings of Jesus in real life, can make a choice to follow Him seem inexplicable. You will be ridiculed and called backward or uneducated, but the gift given to that thief all those years ago has never changed. Our hope is built on faith in Jesus; hope and trust that He will do what He said He will do, go and prepare a place for us. A place that is described as beauty beyond our comprehension. Whether you live the majority of your life serving God, or only the last few days or hours, your reward is the same. Jesus made sure we understood that by his actions on the cross. But with compassion and grace like that, who would want to wait until their last chance to accept it? After all, tomorrow is not guaranteed, and you have no way of knowing if today IS your last chance. If that’s true then, which thief will you be today?

Luke 23: 39-43