thief on the cross – The Faith Cafe

When two people couldn’t be more different, we say they’re like night and day, or chalk and cheese.

Comparing people who are unalike to cats and dogs can also be apt. There are several notable differences between these species of our furry friends:

They say dog is man’s best friend. If so, then a cat is man’s strange, aloof roommate.

Owners train their dogs. Cats train their owners.

Dogs don’t mind it when you dress them in silly clothing. Cats give you murderous looks if you so much as attempt to put a hat on them.

Dogs look at their owners and think: “These people feed, shelter and love me: they must be gods!”

Cats look at their owners and think: “These people feed, shelter and love me: I must be a god!”

But perhaps cats and dogs have more in common than we might think.

They both come running when they hear the can opener. They both know who in the family has the most comfortable lap. And they both show their love by licking you and shedding their fur on you.

There are two people in the Bible, who, at first glance, couldn’t seem to be more different: Simeon and the thief on the cross. Both of their stories are found in the Book of Luke.

Do you know the feeling of relief you get when you get something important accomplished with barely a minute to spare?

Perhaps you realize at the eleventh hour that today is actually your wedding anniversary, and you haven’t yet bought a present for your spouse. But you race over to the store and manage to find the perfect gift just before they close. Crisis averted!

Or maybe you have to give a crucial presentation at work, but you’re stuck in traffic. So you take every shortcut you know and, lo and behold, you slide into the office as the clock strikes 9 AM. Your boss never knows how close you came to being late.

I imagine the thief on the cross knew this feeling.

When we speak of the “thief on the cross,” we’re referring to one of the two criminals between whom Jesus was crucified.

This is the one who said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus assured him that that very day he would be with Him in Paradise.

Talk about being in the nick of time!

The thief was dying an excruciating death. He probably only had a few hours left to live. Yet even at that late hour, he professed faith in Jesus and was accepted.

His story is often given as an example of how it’s never too late to turn to God, and that’s certainly true.

But I wonder if there’s more we can glean from the account of the thief on the cross?

There’s a question that’s always niggled at me: how did he know that Jesus was indeed Lord?

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The Nick of Time