Weekly Devotion no 44
26 March 2021
Bible reading – Luke 23:32-43[1]
32 Two other men were also led out with Jesus to be killed. Both of them
had broken the law. 33 The soldiers brought them to
the place called the Skull. There they nailed Jesus to the cross. He hung
between the two criminals. One was on his right and one was on his left. 34 Jesus
said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” The soldiers
divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood there watching. The rulers even made fun of Jesus. They
said, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen
One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him. They offered him wine
vinegar. 37 They said, “If you are the king of the
Jews, save yourself.”
38 A written sign had been placed above him. It read,
this
is the king of the jews.
39 One of the criminals hanging there made fun of Jesus. He said, “Aren’t
you the Messiah? Save yourself! Save us!”
40 But the other criminal scolded him. “Don’t you have any respect for
God?” he said. “Remember, you are under the same sentence of death. 41 We
are being punished fairly. We are getting just what our actions call for. But
this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Today you will
be with me in paradise.”
Reflection
As we come to Holy Week, a week where we consider the events of the last week in Jesus’ life before he was crucified, it’s good to take time to consider the enormity of what happened. The events of that week can feel so familiar that they just pass us by without having any impact on us.
In today’s excerpt from Luke’s gospel, we see Jesus’ death from the viewpoint of the criminals crucified alongside him. They had broken the law and been sentenced to death. They were probably in custody during the previous week, so they may not have been aware of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a colt or of his betrayal and various trials. Jesus was placed in between them, surely to try to portray that he was a criminal just like them.
The Roman soldiers were taunting Jesus and making fun of him. And in his last hours of life, one of the criminals can’t seem to stop himself joining in with the soldiers in mocking Jesus. Maybe he always followed the crowd or gravitated to the wrong people, maybe he always talked like that, maybe he was just showing his normal character. But he used his last words to pour scorn on a fellow human being.
The other criminal could have understandably reacted the same way. And yet, he chose to use his last hours of life to rebuke his fellow criminal and to call out his behaviour and words as disrespectful to God. This showed courage. He has a strong sense of justice, reminding the other criminal that they deserved their punishment. However, he says that Jesus has done nothing wrong. How did he know this? Was this the prevailing view of those in the crowd, other than the soldiers? Was this his personal observation of Jesus on the cross? Did the Spirit reveal this to him? We don’t know, but he does seem to have a sense of who Jesus is.
Quite often we see the world with greater perspective when we are suffering and we see God with greater clarity. This criminal recognised Jesus for who he was and Jesus responded to him in grace with a warm welcome. That very day Jesus would take him home.
So, in this coming
week as we contemplate the significance of Jesus’ death, let’s recall the
reactions of the two criminals. Jesus is ready to welcome us home if we
recognise him for who he is – it is never too late. May we be reassured of his
love for us and his grace and mercy, and may we give thanks to him for his
sacrifice for us.
Hymn
Verse 1
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
Verse 2
Forbid it Lord that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood
Verse 3
See from His head His hands His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown
Verse 4
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul my life my all
Prayer
O merciful God,
you have made all
people
and you hate nothing
that you have made,
nor desire the death
of sinners,
but rather that they
should turn and live:
have mercy on all who
have not known you,
or who deny the faith
of Christ crucified;
take from them all
ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of your word;
and so fetch them
home, blessed Lord, to your fold,
that we may be made
one flock under one shepherd,
Jesus Christ our
Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, world
without end. Amen.
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