And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him and offering Him vinegar and saying: "If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself." And the self-same thing the thieves also that were crucified with Him reproached Him with, and reviled Him. And one of these robbers who were hanging, blasphemed Him, saying: "If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying: "Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation? And we, indeed, justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done no evil." And he said to Jesus: "Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom." And Jesus said to him: "Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." - Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32; Luke 23:36-43
1. It is easy to meditate upon this scene in the Passion. The soldiers are of little account; they act as do those of their class, with no opinion of their own, but catching at that which pleases authority. Hence the terms of their abuse; being Roman soldiers, the "King of the Jews" has no meaning to them, but evidently it has some supernatural meaning to the chief priests; hence they bid Him "save Himself," which to a Roman would be a foolish taunt. With the thieves it might be different. They at least were Jews, even if they had long since laid aside all thought of religion; from their lips the taunt is akin to that from the lips of those who have once had the faith, but have it no longer, and who, having lost it, and having in consequence lost much more beside, then cry out against faith as being a delusion and bankrupt. They thrust Our Lord aside; they deliberately choose their own path; then they take this as proof that He is not.
2. But often such people find their best rival among themselves, One will rise up who will have at least the humility to recognize his own guilt; whether there is Christ or not, at least he himself has only got his own deserts; whether there is Christ or not, at least there is a just God. This leads to another recognition: that of injustice done to others. Whether this is Christ or not, at least He is not guilty as we are. Thus there are three steps, seen often enough in ordinary life. The man who has done wrong, and will acknowledge it, will find the discovery of God not difficult. The discovery of God will soon adjust his attitude to others; and this will make his duty to them easy.
3. Then comes the climax. There may be many ways to the discovery of Our Lord, but none is so easy, none so illuminating, as that of the penitent thief. He is not taught by books; it is not proved to him by argument; it begins with the defence of a good man: "This man hath done no evil." On the contrary, this man hath done nothing but good. Therefore this man's word is to be trusted. On the contrary, all that is evil is ranged against Him; it has done Him to death, it has numbered Him with ourselves. And mean while He does nothing; He says nothing; He dies without a word, without defence. Who can this man be, with Whom is all that is good, against Whom is all that is evil, Whose death alone will satisfy the world? The truth flashes on him; he cries out: "Lord, remember me," and he receives in reply instant canonization. In spite of all the suffering, that "Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise," was a moment of pure joy for Our Lord.
Summary
1. The abuse of the soldiers and the two thieves.
2. The growth of grace in the heart of the good thief.
3. And its reward.
- from The Crown of Sorrow, by Archbishop Alban Goodier