The Battle of Easter: Part 3
We finally reach the cross, the final moments of Jesus’ death. Jesus is crucified in between two thieves and this exchange happens:
Luke 23:39-43My first observation is that stealing is usually not a capital offense: in the bible, the thief only has to restore and pay twice what he stole. Roman law of the time was similar. So how did these two thieves arrive at Jesus’ side?
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
It turns out Roman law varied by your status in society. It was illegal in a majority of cases to execute Roman citizens, but the lower your class the harsher the punishment could get. If you were a slave, you could be executed for almost anything. These thieves were definitely among the lower classes and had very few rights.
At least one of these thieves knew theft was wrong, yet chose to do so. Most crimes of theft are due to poverty, and being in the poorer classes he most likely stole for his or his family’s survival. Being at the mercy of the court and their accuser, they were even sentenced to be crucified--a punishment purposely cruel and humiliating, used by Rome to oppress its subjects.
To put it bluntly, these thieves were likely victims of injustice in a system set up against them.
One thief angrily cries out to Jesus to save himself and them. I suppose he realizes the cruelty and injustice of his life, and is rightly bitter and angry. Perhaps he had at one time prayed for someone to save him from a life that led him to poverty; from people who abused and extorted him; from a life he couldn’t escape because of oppression. Maybe then he could have led a righteous life. In this plea there is accusation. The Messiah is the savior and liberator of the people, so what is Jesus waiting for? Has God abandoned this thief?
The thief on Jesus’ other side felt he deserved his punishment, and calls it “just”. His life was of little value to society and this is what his life amounts to, hanging on a cross. He believed this is the sum of all he is worth. He’d already accepted his death.
I feel for both of these thieves--they were both brought to the lowest of places and have to come to terms with it. In my lowest places, I am both these thieves: angry and ashamed before God; I feel both injustice and self-condemnation. When I feel low, I am angry about all the unjust circumstances of my past, many of which I had no control. I am angry that God didn’t answer all my prayers. I am angry when I look at the world and there is so much wrong. I am also ashamed and question myself. I feel I am not enough, and perhaps all the wrong things in my life are what I deserve. I feel I can never measure up to what is valued in this society. I feel that I am not worth God’s love.
Holding onto his last hope, the second thief is able to rebuke the other one and dares to ask Jesus to remember him. He must have recognized something in Jesus, as they were both hanging on their crosses, that convinced him that Jesus was truly a king. What was it?
Maybe this is what Jesus was waiting for as he withstood all the trials before his death: Jesus was waiting to be with this thief (perhaps both thieves). He didn’t save himself or them, but he chose to be by their side and died with them. He made sure they were not alone in their anger and despair, in the worst moment of their lives.
Jesus promises this second thief that they would be together in paradise that very day. What was this paradise Jesus was promising as he died? Where did he go?
When Jesus stands powerless before his friends, before the temple, the government, the crowd, and on the cross, I believe he is presenting himself. He does not deliver a message, a miracle, nor a display of any sort, just himself. It is as if he is saying, “This is who I am, who God is. I am giving myself over completely to you.” This must be the very heart of God.
What if God never wanted anything from us to begin with? And what if God just wanted to love us and be with us, and this is the promise that God is keeping: that God will be with us forever (Matt 28:20). We ask for so many things, some of which God gives us, yet what God wants to give to us is all of himself.
Is this what paradise looks like? To be given the whole heart of God?
I wonder about the first thief, the one that hurled insults at Jesus. What did he think after he heard the exchange between Jesus and the other thief? How did he feel when Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and know that Jesus felt abandoned too? Did he hear when Jesus asked God to forgive those who executed him and mocked him? What were his final thoughts as he saw Jesus die alongside him in the same way he did, hanging on his own cross? Did he wish to be in paradise with Jesus as well?
When I feel disappointed and angry with God, does he understand and want to be with me still?
I also wonder how much pain Jesus was in when he heard the first thief ask Jesus to save him? How about when the second thief condemned himself and was in despair? Did Jesus hear the cries of all who felt abandoned and cry out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on our behalf?
Jesus, as a human with the heart of God, lived to show us how much God loves us and wants to be with us. God doesn't necessarily save us in all things, but promises to be with us in everything. God isn't in the place where we become holy and good, but is in the place where we are suffering the most, where we cry out in anger and judge ourselves in shame. To find God, we don't go to the place where we are at our best, we go to the place of our pain, at our cross. God is waiting there for us.
**********
P.S.-
I wrote previously, at the beginning of Lent this year, that I would contemplate what it meant to have God present with me in all circumstances. First of all, I found myself publishing my first blog post. Though I was afraid, I felt God had confidence in me even if no one read or liked it. Mostly I wanted to share some of the ideas that have encouraged me in my faith, and perhaps encourage other. I’ve often felt like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus whose hearts were burning when they spoke with Jesus (Luke 24:32).
I also found myself pursuing some of the other passions that I had been afraid to pursue, and are things I have zero experience in! Once I jumped in though, it isn’t as bad as I thought, and a good portion of my anxiety disappeared (though it may get harder, I expect).
I was bolstered by feeling the confidence that God would be with me in my success or failure, and that my worth in God’s eyes would not change. Perhaps this is what it means to receive God’s immeasurable grace (Eph 2:4-9). It is not something I can work towards by achieving goodness, but by pursuing and knowing that love and grace. I feel like God has given a piece of me back to myself. Is this a bit of what paradise is like?
P.P.S.-
I did call this the Battle of Easter, but I realized too late that I never wrote about Easter Sunday. My friend explained to me that it still worked because Easter was the victory lap of the whole battle. I will say this about the resurrection and ascension: Jesus remained in his human body or some form of it. What does this mean? He also performed other signs and explained things that are not recorded (John 20:30). What were they and is there a way to discover this ourselves?
P.P.P.S-
It’s okay if you don’t fully agree with my scriptural analysis, but I really do hope you are encouraged in your faith. If you enjoyed this, I have another one coming up for Mother’s Day. Thanks for reading!
P.S.-
I wrote previously, at the beginning of Lent this year, that I would contemplate what it meant to have God present with me in all circumstances. First of all, I found myself publishing my first blog post. Though I was afraid, I felt God had confidence in me even if no one read or liked it. Mostly I wanted to share some of the ideas that have encouraged me in my faith, and perhaps encourage other. I’ve often felt like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus whose hearts were burning when they spoke with Jesus (Luke 24:32).
I also found myself pursuing some of the other passions that I had been afraid to pursue, and are things I have zero experience in! Once I jumped in though, it isn’t as bad as I thought, and a good portion of my anxiety disappeared (though it may get harder, I expect).
I was bolstered by feeling the confidence that God would be with me in my success or failure, and that my worth in God’s eyes would not change. Perhaps this is what it means to receive God’s immeasurable grace (Eph 2:4-9). It is not something I can work towards by achieving goodness, but by pursuing and knowing that love and grace. I feel like God has given a piece of me back to myself. Is this a bit of what paradise is like?
P.P.S.-
I did call this the Battle of Easter, but I realized too late that I never wrote about Easter Sunday. My friend explained to me that it still worked because Easter was the victory lap of the whole battle. I will say this about the resurrection and ascension: Jesus remained in his human body or some form of it. What does this mean? He also performed other signs and explained things that are not recorded (John 20:30). What were they and is there a way to discover this ourselves?
P.P.P.S-
It’s okay if you don’t fully agree with my scriptural analysis, but I really do hope you are encouraged in your faith. If you enjoyed this, I have another one coming up for Mother’s Day. Thanks for reading!
