How Quickly Things Can Change In Life

We don't know what he did except that he was a thief of some sort. Whatever it was, it was ruled that it was worthy of death. He is sentenced to die along with two others. As the day progresses, he along with the other thief who has been sentenced to die insult the other man sentenced to die. In fact, many in the crowd are insulting this other man who is not charged with being a thief.

I have had the opportunity to play music at many correctional centers, prisons if you will in my life. For the most part, the residents behave well and even helped us with carrying our equipment and wanting to talk with us. But, I will always remember the first prison I played at. Why? One reason is that I was around 15 or 16 years old and as we were setting up our equipment  to play outside in the yard, there was a small building somewhat close to where we were going to play. Inside the small building, though we couldn't see who was in there, we could here who was in there. What we heard was just filth coming from these men's mouths who were in that building. I don't know if it was directed at us or not. The guards told us just to keep walking to where we were supposed to set up. But even from where we set up we could still hear them cursing at us. I know they weren't directly mad at us, they were just made at the world.

I mention that story because when you get around people mad at the world, mad at their circumstances, they all basically start acting the same. I imagine those two thieves being like the inmates that I encountered at that first prison I played at. They were mad at life, mad at their situation, and they just take it out on whoever is around them. These thieves start yelling insults at this other man sentenced to die along with them.

As the day progresses, something interesting is taking place. The third person sentenced to die that day isn't acting like the other two. He isn't striking back and insulting the other two who are insulting Him. That would be a natural reaction. You are getting ready to die and you aren't going to let someone get the best of you as you leave this Earth. He also isn't striking back at the crowd insulting Him.In fact,  He hasn't said anything against the people who are helping to kill Him. What you do hear Him say is,"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."


 All the two thieves know is that this Man has claimed to be the Christ. Of course, earlier in the day they don't believe it.We aren't told when, we aren't told how, but at some point during that day one of the thieves sentenced to die realizes there is something different about this third man sentenced to die. He is not acting like everyone who has been in that situation acts. He is not defending Himself to those insulting Him. He is not taking one last opportunity to lash out at people and this world before He dies.

As their lives are drawing nearer to death one of the thieves makes one last ditch effort to save himself. He doesn't believe that this other man is the Christ. But maybe he figures," hey, what if He is, He can get me out of this situation." The thief is just thinking of himself. But as we read what follows, it isn't this man's life that is going to be rescued, but the other thief's life that will be rescued. Not from this experience, not from this death, but from eternal death.

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation ? 41 "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds ; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom !" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
Luke 23:39-43

He had been on this Earth for approximatley 33 years. He had spent the last 3 showing who He truly was. Teaching about God's Kingdom, healing the sick, showing kindness, forgiving, and yet at this point about the only one who understands who He truly is, is this convicted criminal. The disciples? Outside of John none of them are here. Peter? Some hours earlier he had denied that he even knew Jesus. Not once, but 3 times. The crowds  who were shouting,"Hosanna" a week earlier? They were yelling," Crucify Him" a few hours ago. The religious leaders? They are insulting Him. They are telling Him if that He really is the Christ then prove it by coming down from the cross.

At the end, it's this convicted criminal who gets it. He sees who Jesus truly is. In the end, we once again see God's heart. Here is a man who probably had spent much of his life in crime. A man who society had given up on. A man who had probably years earlier given up on himself. But One hadn't given up on him, and that was Jesus.

We get another chance to see that it doesn't matter what we have done in the past. If we truly recognize Jesus for who He truly is we can spend eternity with Him. Your past doesn't have to define your future.

This thief starts out his day knowing that he is going to die. During the day he is insulting Jesus along with everyone else. Later on, he realizes who Jesus truly is. Before the day is over, he is in paradise with Jesus. How quickly things can change in life.

Troy