"One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding* him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into* your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’" - Luke 23:39-43
I think of St. Bernard's phrase that while God has mercy, I have merit. I think of the thief on the cross knowing of his impending death and think of him as a type of all humanity. We either mock Christ, or we beg for mercy.
May I always trust in Christ's mercy alone for my salvation, as the thief on the cross did.
I agree, the cross is a great example of the divide we call the world, we see the mercy Christ can give upon the one (the repentant) and the anger of the other who mocks. Cool post.
ReplyDelete-matt