Between Sinners

Between Sinners

38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.
39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Matthew 27:38-40

Parents always warn their children about the company they keep. Here we see Jesus crucified between two sinners. He not only became a human being for us, but he also reduced himself to lowest among us. He could have been born in a palace. He could have been born to a king but that was not the plan. The only way to truly save us was to get to the very bottom. He did it for us.

But as if being crucified wasn’t bad enough, or between two robbers, those very people he was trying to save were not in awe of his sacrifice or thankful for his selfless act. No… Those he was trying to save were actually blaspheming him and mocking him. How hard must it have been to see them on the cross? There are very few humans, if any, who would remain there as he did having the power to get off and end it at any time.

41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the [k]scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Matthew 27:41-44

The whole world was against Jesus. The scribes and religious leaders all mocked him, thinking they had won when really they had just condemned themselves with their actions. Even the robbers mocked Jesus. In another gospel we are told that one of them actually defended Jesus but even so. To have even one robber on a cross mock Jesus is ludicrous. He was dying the same death, feeling the same pain, but something inside of him still gave him strength to mock Jesus.

And Jesus just took it all. He knew why he was there. Our salvations was worth the pain and humiliation. That is the Jesus we worship and trust in. That is the Jesus who can strengthen us when we too are put in painful situations. Let us worship him for all that he did.

God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto