Monday, December 14, 2020

Two Men Hanging

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.
- 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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