Compassion on the Cross
And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 NASB)
Sinning which should never be trivialized is not the greatest tragedy to occur in a person’s life. No, the real tragedy happens when someone does not accept by faith what God has done about our sin. Many people are living that way and tragically too many will die that way. That’s a tragedy.
We return to Calvary this Maundy Thursday to look at the two other men who are crucified on either side of Jesus. Through them, the Lord teaches us the differences of living and dying so close to the Lord’s compassion. Even though Jesus paid the price for the sins of all, still people will die and enter into a Christ-less eternity. They wanted Christ to leave them alone on earth – it will be granted to them in eternity.
One thief believed the Lord’s compassion to be a human right, thinking that God owed it to him to be merciful. This thief had no interest in the salvation of his soul. He only wanted to be saved from the consequences of his sin. He didn’t want to die, but his mind wasn’t set on eternity either. The thing he truly regretted was getting caught. Many folk are like this, mistaking this as repentance when it is not. They also think themselves to be Christians. They are not because they have not been converted. They foolishly also think that they can escape sin’s final consequences. They can no more escape them than the two thieves could escape the crosses upon which they hung. Even if they could, their guilt remained.
The other thief is different. What’s the difference? Repentance.
The second thief is a repentant sinner. He knows he too is going to die. He’s more concerned about what will come after his death than the dying itself. He confesses his sin and readily admits that what is happening to him is just. His heart is contrite. He looks over at Christ and what does he see? He sees the Gospel hanging there beside him. He sees hope hanging on a beam. A repentant heart sees hope in Jesus and places its trust in Him. His final request was not to be freed from his cross, but to be remembered sometime in the future.
He looks to Jesus and what does he hear? He didn’t hear accusations, or blame, or condemnation, or vengeance. He hears the voice of compassion and the Good News of Calvary’s Servant. Every heart hears this that turns to Him (John 6:37). He didn’t hear about some future hope. He heard the word, “today”. For a man who lived right up to the end of his life in sin, he heard the ever compassionate heart of God, “today you shall be with Me in paradise.” Now that’s compassion.
Remember friend that Jesus gives us back our “today”. Eternal life is not a future hope; it is something we have in Christ “today”. It is fully realized in the tomorrow of our lives, but its promise and possession is for “today”. We press on in joyful hope because of what we own “today”. We move forward in assurance because our confidence is in His compassion. Because of Christ we of the faith own “today”.
The tragedy of this thief’s live is that he lived it apart from the blessedness of intimate fellowship with Jesus as his Rock and Helper. Yet he became a man of the assured hope, even if but for his few moments left here on earth. His last earthly day would be his best.
Dear reader, this man is waiting to see you in heaven. He was brought there by Jesus, and so will you who believe and receive God’s compassion in Christ…“today”.
