The REAL Last Temptation of Christ: Second Essay From Luke 23:33-43

Maybe Jesus did make the right decision- not coming down from the cross and "cleaning house." Why? One of the people nearby recognized him. It was a "criminal." We don't know exactly what he did to merit the punishment of crucifixion, but since it was a punishment reserved only for the most heinous criminals, we can assume he was no Boy Scout. One could be a bit of a cynic here and suggest that the evildoer was just trying to cover his bases--might as well try to get someone on your side who may have power since certainly the civil and religious authorities won't be doing anything to help you out.

Anyone who has worked with people condemned to die (and I have written a clemency petition for one such person on Death Row), knows that they will turn "grateful" when someone wants to help them out or when someone even shows interest in them. This doesn't mean that they aren't grateful; it means that they have a lot of incentives to try to "cover their bases" when they know that their hourglass is running out.

But Luke isn't particularly interested in probing the "heart" of the criminal. Just as the "inner psyche" of Zacchaeus isn't of concern to Jesus, so the potentially conflicting psychological processes in the mind of the condemned man are not open for our consideration. It is enough that the man expresses a desire for Jesus to "remember him" when he comes into his kingdom. If out of the mouths of babes and infants truth can come, why not out of the mouths of a condemned man?

I have long beleived that people who are on the "underside" of life have unique perspectives into life which I only should ignore at my peril. They don't know everything, of course. They may not know how money "works," or how to gain access to a system which often is perceived to be "against" them. But people "on the outside," or those imprisoned or considered outsiders by the mainstream of the society, often have their own truths that we only ignore to our poverty. Here the evildoer is the one who recognizes Jesus' kingship. Well, the other evildoer doesn't--so it isn't as if every one has insight into divine mysteries. But this one does. While even Jesus' disciples are caught up in their own inadequacies (they argued about which one of them was the greatest in Luke 22:24), the evildoer "sees" the basic reality of life. Jesus is leaving the world, but will be entering into his kingdom. He, as well as we, should hasten to join him there.

If, as the Scriptures say, the wrath of humans may lead to God's praise (Ps. 76:10), why not have the good words of a "bad" person also lead to God's praise? And, if this is the case, why are we, with all of our attainments and privileges, slow to acknowledge wholeheartedly the rule of Christ the King?

C. Today, in Paradise (43)

Jesus doesn't take long to "get back" to the condemned man. His request doesn't have to go through a committee; it doesn't have to be placed on "hold," until other things are done. Jesus doesn't need massive numbers of coffee breaks or constant checking on his pension credits to determine if he will act on behalf of the condemned man. He simply sais, "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." The word "truly" translates the Greek "Amen," and it is used in other places in the Gospels (such as John 1:51) where Jesus wants to make sure that what he is saying is clearly understood.

"Today" the man will be with Jesus in Paradise. Recognition of kingship brings immediate results. Today, when we hear his voice, the Scriptures says, do not return to your rebellion. Today, the Scripture says, I will dine in your house, Zacchaeus. Today is the day of salvation; today is the acceptable time. Jesus' invocation of "today" is meant to convince us that no obstacle is too great to prevent him from acting on our behalf right now. The one who appears to be in the most vulnerable of situations, hanging from the cross, now proclaims the true basis of his power. He is indeed a king; he will be in paradise; he will be able to invite others to that feast with him.

Conclusion

I began these two essays expressing some lukewarmness regarding the celebration of Christ the King. It didn't have good intellectual foundations, I said. But now, after considering this passage in detail, I take that back. The recognition of Christ's kingship, in our hearts, in our lives, and in the world, is probably the best thing we can do. And, when we think that we are going into Advent next week, it is very good to have images of a royal Christ in mind as we meet him in a cradle. It might teach us something about power and vulnerability, of demanding our own way and yielding to others, of saying also to Christ, "remember me..."

3023