As we stand before this painting two
figures are outlined against the
sun as it scorches the hanging bodies. We
can identify the body of the
thief, as we are told that he was not nailed
to the cross, and the body
of the Christ turned towards the thief. They
had exchanged words, and unlike
the words of abuse hurled from others, here
was one who recognized the
innocence and kingship of Jesus and won for
himself a place in paradise.
A companion in death for the God-man, who,
despite the great pain and
suffering he was enduring, was willing to
reach our in love. We are not
told anything about this man, other than he
was a thief, someone caught
up in the machine of Roman justice. For
someone like this there was little
justice, and he was certainly not a Roman
citizen, for citizens were not
punished by crucifixion.
Roman crucifixion was not so much a
deterrent or form of punishment as
a display of power, and by it those who
opposed the might of Rome were
rendered powerless. This then is what faces
us in this scene – the fact
that the very one who claimed to be “Son of
God,” the almighty and omnipotent
God is rendered powerless by man. It is no
wonder then that all had run
away from him except one who could not
escape to safety – namely the thief
hanging beside Jesus. Here indeed was the
greatest opportunist the world
had seen up to this point, for he seized the
moment and became the first
citizen of heaven. Grace flowed out from the
Christ hanging beside him,
and the thief cooperated with that grace.
We can learn an important lesson in hope
from this episode in the life
of Christ, for even in this the worst of
situations, during our pain and
the certainty of death, the hand of
hope is held out to us. But we
must turn to the Lord and seize the moment,
avail ourselves of the grace
offered. The price he has paid for
this to happen is the highest
price possible: death on a cross.
