“Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
‘Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.’
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
‘Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.’
Then he said,
‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
He replied to him,
‘Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.’”
Three men hanging high on crosses to be easily seen and mocked by the crowd. One, innocent, identified as the King of the Jews, surrendered to the will of God, hangs there with arms outstretched in love to embrace the whole world. Two thieves, guilty, justly condemned, hang serving the punishment for their crimes. All three meant to be an example and a spectacle. None are coming down alive. All, even the crowd, are in a desperate situation, under the rule of a foreign and merciless power. Mocking the men hanging on crosses is a sign of loyalty, join in or be suspect, “We have no king but Caesar.” The day drags on, the suffering grows, and the one speaks, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do...Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise...Woman, behold, your son...Behold, your mother...My God, my God, why have you forsaken me...I thirst...It is finished...Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Pierced hands and feet, broken legs for the thieves, a crown of thorns and a lance thrust into his side for the king. Love and mercy flow. They die.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, is alive. He broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave, surpassing the plane of time and space, matter and energy, and ascended into heaven, where he sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty, and from where the Holy Spirit proceeds, descending as gift and advocate to dwell within us. That’s a lot. Before that, Jesus was incarnate, born of the Virgin Mary, grew up, was baptized and tempted in the desert, called his disciples, taught, told stories, healed, cast out demons, raised the dead, prayed, walked on water, overturned tables in the temple area, ate with sinners and tax collectors, saved a woman from stoning, spoke to another woman at a well, went up to Jerusalem, washed his disciples feet, gave them himself in a final meal, was betrayed, arrested, put on trial, and scourged, and carried his cross. That’s a lot, too. The center and key to the whole thing, to everything about Jesus, is his crucifixion. Even the art and architecture of our church make this point.
In today’s gospel, we get an intimate glimpse into this experience seen through the eyes of two thieves. How do they respond to being crucified with Jesus? One mocks, reviles, and demands that the king save him from the pain of the cross, “Save yourself and us.” Get us down from here! The other also asks to be saved, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” From a place of acceptance, the good thief doesn’t ask to be saved from his cross, but through it. One demands to be saved from his cross, the other asks to be saved through it, to have life on the other side of it. We all have crosses. The way to life is through them, not running from them. Jesus is right there with us. What is your cross? And what are you asking?