Forgiveness for the Captors and the Captives Alike
It really is remarkable.
Luke 23:33-43 | Gospels during Lent: Matthew 23-24
It really is remarkable. Jesus has every human right to be mad at either his captors or those who are captive with him. His captors held the hammer that pierced his hands and feet. He forgave them. Those captives crucified with him - he was nothing like” them.1 And yet he is receiving the same punishment. He welcomed the repentant one into his kingdom.
Such forgiveness and love can only be divinely-inspired.
Luke 23:33-43
When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” They drew lots as a way of dividing up his clothing.
The people were standing around watching, but the leaders sneered at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he really is the Christ sent from God, the chosen one.”
The soldiers also mocked him. They came up to him, offering him sour wine and saying, “If you really are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Above his head was a notice of the formal charge against him. It read “This is the king of the Jews.”
One of the criminals hanging next to Jesus insulted him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
Responding, the other criminal spoke harshly to him, “Don’t you fear God, seeing that you’ve also been sentenced to die? We are rightly condemned, for we are receiving the appropriate sentence for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus replied, “I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.”
Prayer
God,
Help me toward the radical forgiveness of Jesus who, on the very cross took such a role upon himself, forgiveness for all.
Only by your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
It could actually be argued that they are very much like him, or better yet, that Jesus is very much like them. It is this very kind of solidarity for which he came in the first place.
A somewhat off-topic question, but only sort of.
One of the church communities I’m a part of on a regular basis is a Catholic church. You noted the other day that some church traditions emphasize the passion on Palm Sunday, and others The Triumphal Entry. The Catholic tradition certainly seemed to emphasize the latter. It was a quiet, reverential and mournful mass experience this week. They showed portions of “The Passion of the Christ” during Mass, narrated by someone telling the story of Good Friday. They described the two other men crucified with Jesus as “insurrectionists.” This was different than I’m accustomed to as a Protestant Christian. We referred to them as criminals or thieves.
Do you have insight on why one tradition is different than the other? I couldn’t even recall them ever being referred to as insurrectionists, even in the Bible.