By Ron Thomas
Two men hanging on their respective crosses. Both hurling insults at Jesus. As their energy drained and life slipped away, they heard people on the ground talking aloud about the One between them. After much listening, one of the two hanging (a thief) had a change of heart; he tired and felt guilty about insulting the One between them whom, he gathered, was guilty of no wrong. More than that, he heard people assign divinity to him. He heard that himself when he walked freely. Now he is beside Him; he had seen and heard enough that his regrets came rushing to him like a tidal wave. The other thief kept hurling insults, but the one with a change of heart had heard enough nonsense. He forthrightly declares, “But the other answered, and rebuk ing him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:40-41, ASV).
LESSONS:
1) easily it could have been one of us hanging on the cross beside Him who experienced no sin;
2) life’s experiences have a way of teaching powerful lessons, some of them come late;
3) when those teaching moments come, be sure to act on them for the promise of another day is not given;
4) with the thief on the cross, we have an extraordinary circumstance; He who gives life has within Him that very life to give (John 5:26); the occasion of the thief does not warrant our approach to follow the same pattern. The Lord’s pattern is in John 3:3-5 (Acts 2:37-38), follow that pattern.
Two men hanging on their respective crosses. Both hurling insults at Jesus. As their energy drained and life slipped away, they heard people on the ground talking aloud about the One between them. After much listening, one of the two hanging (a thief) had a change of heart; he tired and felt guilty about insulting the One between them whom, he gathered, was guilty of no wrong. More than that, he heard people assign divinity to him. He heard that himself when he walked freely. Now he is beside Him; he had seen and heard enough that his regrets came rushing to him like a tidal wave. The other thief kept hurling insults, but the one with a change of heart had heard enough nonsense. He forthrightly declares, “But the other answered, and rebuk ing him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:40-41, ASV).
LESSONS:
1) easily it could have been one of us hanging on the cross beside Him who experienced no sin;
2) life’s experiences have a way of teaching powerful lessons, some of them come late;
3) when those teaching moments come, be sure to act on them for the promise of another day is not given;
4) with the thief on the cross, we have an extraordinary circumstance; He who gives life has within Him that very life to give (John 5:26); the occasion of the thief does not warrant our approach to follow the same pattern. The Lord’s pattern is in John 3:3-5 (Acts 2:37-38), follow that pattern.
- Ron Thomas preacher for the Sunrush Church of Christ,
Chillicothe, OH. He may be contacted through the congregation's
website. http://sunrushchurchofchrist.com/
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