A Lenten Reflection on Luke 23

A week or two ago, while sitting in Sunday service, something jumped out at me. The pastor was preaching on Luke 23, and specifically on verses 39-43. And as he was telling the story he mentioned the fact that, these men Luke called thieves, should actually be called rebels because the word used implied violence. I had heard this before, but this time something struck me differently, if these men were rebels, then that means that this rebel's confession was a much bigger deal than I had ever noticed. Then as I searched I found that apparently, it was a bigger deal than most have noticed, because no matter how many pastors, church fathers, commentaries, and general social media followers I asked, no one seemed to be talking about it. No matter where I looked, the focus is always on the words of Jesus to this man, but I think we miss a very important aspect of the story when we don't stop to look at this man’s confession, especially in today’s political and cultural climate.

LUKE 23

We are probably all familiar with the circumstances of Luke 23. This chapter deals with the events we commonly refer to as Good Friday. Jesus faces trial after trial, culminating with the crowd demanding the revolutionary leader Barabbas be released and Jesus crucified instead. We see Simon pulled from the crowd and forced to carry the cross to Golgotha, and we see Jesus nailed to the cross and raised to the mockery of the crowds around him. And then we hear about the two people being crucified with him, and this is where we want to focus, because there is an important piece of the story here, and one that as far as I have found, has not been explored. 

On either side of Jesus, Luke says that two κακοῦργος, meaning violent criminals, were crucified on both sides of him. In Matthew and Mark, the word is λῃστής, meaning a violent robber or more appropriately a rebel. This is an interesting dynamic, because oftentimes in English, we see it translated as a simple thief. But the violence and revolutionary nature of these men, I think plays a much more important role than we see talked about. Most believe these two men were a part of the rebel cell led by Barrabas and that this is why Jesus was crucified with them. What we see in the gospel accounts is that they were mocking Jesus along with the crowd until, eventually, one of these men stops, rebukes the mocking, and makes this declaration: 

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” (Luke 23:42). 

Jesus then replies by telling him, that that day they would enter Paradise together, which is typically where the focus always lies. We hear Jesus' words and take comfort in the fact that even as we are about to die, it is still not too late. This is not a wrong focus by any means and is a major theological landmark of a statement when it comes to soteriology.  But in today’s climate, we should look at this man’s declaration of faith much closer, because this declaration is one of much greater faith than we recognize on the surface.

At this time, the people were all awaiting a messiah that would come and usher in a new golden age for the Kingdom of Israel. Israel has been under one oppressive kingdom or another, practically from the time of Isaiah and Hezekiah. They were waiting for the Messiah to finally come and end the oppression, and many throughout history rose to try and accomplish this, like Barrabas and these men on the crosses. These men believed in the promise of God to fulfill His covenants and restore the kingdom of Israel. They were willing to die in battle or their on the cross at the hands of Rome. And now that this revolutionary is about to die, seemingly without seeing his life’s dream a reality, look again at what he says:

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

Do you see it? This is a major confession of faith, on par with that of Peter in Matthew 16, and one that shows more awareness of who Christ is and what Christ’s kingdom looks like. This was a full declaration of Christ as messiah and King. This man is a revolutionary who finally saw at the end, that the Kingdom of God was going to come from the sacrifice of service on the cross next to him, and not from a revolution in the streets of Jerusalem. That the kingdom would not come through the death of oppressors, but instead through a life of submission, even submission to death. Not an earthly kingdom, but one nor of this world. This is a full reversal of worldview in a very short amount of time, and it shouldn't go as unnoticed as it seems to have. 

There is another level of awareness here as well, because this man doesn’t ask for anything more, than Christ to remember him. No asking for power or position. No asking for those that hung him there to be destroyed. But just a simple request that the Messiah remember this man as He takes what is rightfully His. Compare this to what we see of the apostles in Luke 22:24-30, where Luke describes the apostles as full-on arguing over status in the coming kingdom. A kingdom they still expected to be earthly, and glorious. These men had walked with Jesus for three years and were arguing about greatness and power, hours before the arrest of Jesus. Yet this rebel saw the reality of what was before him, and not only did he believe it, but he humbled himself as he declared that this was the One He had waited for, and all he requested was just to be remembered by the one that was going to bring this about. 

WHY THIS MATTERS

Just like the Isaiah 9 Advent blog from a few years ago, I was shocked to see that there was no one talking about this. But I felt it important to highlight in today's climate. In the midst of the conversations about Christendom, Nationalism, resistance, and pacifism, the testimony of this man, referred to in some traditions as St. Dismas, should be highlighted. A man who spent his life pursuing the kingdom of God on earth, searching for the messiah to come and free his people, desperately seeking a kingdom of righteousness in the world again, when he came face to face with Jesus. The beaten and bloodied Jesus who held “no appearance that we should desire Him,” and yet at this moment, this revolutionary saw the fulfillment of everything he had been working for and humbly submitted to allow Christ to do that work instead. 

This Lenton season, as we watch the powers of the earth swirl out of control and people attempt to use the messiah as an excuse for oppressing others, let us examine our own minds and hearts to be able to make the same confession that Dismas does here. Let us reject the methods of the empire, for the methods of Jesus. Let us humble ourselves in submission, rather than attempt to grasp for power and control. Let us see Jesus for Who He is, rather than the reward that awaits us. Let us be content to simply be remembered by Jesus, rather than seeking to sit in power at His coming.

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