LEARNING FROM A THIEF

Luke 23:39–43 ESV

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? 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 justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

A FRIEND OF MIN E DID A PRISON SENTENCE FOR ARMED ROBBERY OVER 30 YEARS AGO IN TENNESEE. HE SAID HE LEARNED MORE ABOUT BEING A THIEF IN PRISON THAN HE DID WHEN HE WAS FREE. AS I LISTENED TO HIM TELL ME ABOUT BUGLRARY AND THE MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE THAT HELPED THEM TO GET ROBBED, I REALIZED I WAS LEARNING SOMETHING FROM A THIEF. WHEN I READ THIS TEXT, I REALIZED THAT I CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM THIS THIEF TOO! HE CAN SHOW US HOW TO GET SAVED WHILE WE ARE ASHAMED, CONVICTED, AND SENTENCED TO DEATH IF WE WOULD ONLY LISTEN. WHEN YOU GO TO JAIL YOUR DONT HAVE A NAME, JUST A NUMBER. THIS THIEF HAS NO NAME EITHER. HE IS JUST IDENTIFIED IN THE TEXT AS, THE ‘OTHER’ THEIF. SO HE IS SIMPLY THIEF NO. 2.

V. 39 THIEF NO. 1, IF YOU BE THE CHRIST, SAVE YOURSELF THEN US. SPEAKING LIKE A TRUE CONVICT WANTING TO ESACPE. HE RAILED JESUS AS THE TEXT SAYS. BUT THIEF NO. 2 SPEAKS, V. 40-41. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THEIF NO. 2

ACKNOWLEDGE GOD BY RESPECTING HIM (DONT YOU FEAR GOD)

ACCEPT YOUR PRESENT CONDITION(WE DESERVE WHAT WE ARE GETTING)

3) ADMIT GODS PURPOSE IN THE WORLD (THIS MAN HAS DONE NOTHING AMISS)

4) ASCEND TO HOPING FOR A BETTER DAY (REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME TO YOUR KINGDOM)

CONCLUSION: THEIF NO.1 WASW AN DOUBTER AND AN ACCUSER. THE WORLD WILL ALWAYS DOUBT AND ACCUSE, SELFISHLY SPEAK FROM A DEPRAVED HEART. BUT THEIR NO. 2 TEACHES US HOW TO GAIN ETERNAL LIFE WHEN YOU LIFE HAS BEEN SENTENCED BY THE WORLD AS NO GOOD, FINISHED, USELESS, AIMLESS, WASTED, GOOD FOR NOTHING, TRIFFLING, CONVICTED FELON. THEIF NO. 2 SHOWS US HOW TO THOUGH GUILTY OF SIN, GO TO GOD. THOUGH THE WORLD HAS SENTENCED TO DEATH, KNOW YOU HAVE A DELIVERER, YOUR KING, YOUR SAVIOR, YOUR CREATOR!