The Repentant Thief 

   “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  He replied to him, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23: 42 – 43) 

   There were two men crucified with Jesus on that day.  One, whom tradition has named Dismas, repented and joined Jesus in paradise that very day.  The other reviled and mocked Him.  I’ve often wondered what Dismas saw that caused him to repent and what the other refused to see.

   They were both dying alongside the Lord and death was close at hand.  No one deserves death by crucifixion, but they were sentenced according to their crimes and the laws of the time.  Christ was wrongly sentenced, guilty of no crime, no sin whatsoever.  And yet, even while dying on the cross, He asked the Father to forgive those who had accused and crucified Him.

   I believe that Dismas saw an innocent man, wrongly accused, but who was full of love even for His accusers and those who had nailed Him to the cross.  He saw Innocence itself hanging on that cross .  Somehow the other thief either didn’t see it or chose to ignore it.  One is in paradise, the other is not.

   We are a world full of repentant and non-repentant sinners.  None of us are free of sin but some have seen what Dismas saw and have turned to Jesus in sorrow for our sins seeking His forgiveness.  Others see the same things but choose to ignore them.  Those who repent and accept Christ will join Him in paradise.  Those who, by their own choice, refuse will be turned away.

   Some believe they will have that last chance to repent before they die and hopefully they will.  However, death can come in an instant giving no time for repentance.  Yet even in the last few minutes of life, some still do not turn to God.  On Calvary one sinner chose Christ. and the other did not.