THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."   And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."  But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

- Luke 23:32-43

Yesterday we read that as they led Jesus away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.  And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!'  Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"

 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.   Calvary in the Greek is Κρανίον, which literally means "the skull."    It indicates what sort of a place this is.  My study bible says that being crucified between the two criminals shows Christ's complete identity with fallen humanity, and fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9-12.

Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  My study bible notes that this intercession isn't just for those who sentenced and crucified Jesus.  It is for all of humanity, for a people who have no insight into the profound mystery of God's salvation.  These words are spoken not as a request, but rather with divine authority.  What it indicates is that their great sin would still have been forgiven them if they had repented.  One of these soldiers did do so (verse 47), and is considered saint of the Church.

And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."   "Save Yourself" is a continuing temptation of Satan to deter Jesus from completing His mission.  We hear the echoes from the first, just as He began His ministry (4:9-13).

And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:  THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  My study bible says of this inscription that what was intended as an accusation and a mockery became instead a triumphant symbol that all nations would come under the reign of Jesus the King.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."  But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."  There is a kind of teaching here.  The first of the criminals wants to use Christ to avoid responsibility for his actions.  But the other accepts his sentence and asks simply to be remembered.  Like the tax collector in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, this latter way is the path to Paradise.  Jesus tells him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."  My study bible notes that to be reconciled to Christ is to be in paradise immediately.  Moreover, the souls of the departed are in the presence of God and experience a foretaste of His glory before the final resurrection.

Even at His Crucifixion, Christ continues to teach us, and to teach those around Him.  The example of the second criminal is one more time in which Christ ministers to others.  He does not relinquish truth, but upholds it.  He battles temptation on the Cross, both from the rulers together with the people, and from the soldiers.  It is perhaps the most telling lesson that He prays for forgiveness, because forgiveness is something that we always need to understand, it seems to me.  To forgive, in the Gospels, is to release, to take away, to let go.  Reconciliation, however, is another word.  These are two different things.  Forgiveness is extended, but as my study bible points out, reconciliation depends also on repentance.  Too often we seem to assume that repentance is unnecessary for reconciliation, and we also confuse reconciliation with forgiveness.  It is entirely possible to forgive and yet not be fully reconciled within the fullness of relationship with someone.  A childhood abuser, perhaps to take an extreme example, can be forgiven with the help of God, but this does not imply that one must enter into full relationship with such a person.  Work is necessary for relationships, whether we are speaking of marriage or any other type of relationship in life.  Abuse breaks relationships.  Forgiveness means we put the relationship -- and our righteous conduct -- in the hands of God.  We "release" to God and ask for God to teach us and guide us in righteous behavior and right-relatedness, regardless of our own sin or of those who may have sinned against us.  But reconciliation is another goal, another road, something that requires discernment and work, just as forgiveness requires work on our part in the first place.  We cannot be responsible for the sins committed against us, but we are fully responsible for our own conduct.  (Let us remember that Christ Himself uses the example of name-calling, definitely provocative behavior, and calls it akin to murder in Matthew 5:22.)  We ask God to guide us, and we have this tremendous example of Christ -- Who, even on the Cross, treats all with righteousness, and responds to everything with righteousness, both temptation and repentance.  He remains our example in all things.  His prayer for forgiveness is not a blanket excuse for all; He remains the One who taught that "truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Repentance remains a great key to the mystery of full reconciliation, while forgiveness is the one tool we have by which to let go of what harms and ails and put it in the hands of God.  May we all be given the grace of discernment, and strive more to be like Him, and follow His example.