Thomas is one of the more fascinating figures in the New Testament. He is given the dubious title “Doubting Thomas” and has been maligned through church history because of his disbelief that the Lord rose from the dead (John 20:24,25). However, I think we need to take a closer look at the apostle and determine if the title “Doubting Thomas” is appropriate.
Thomas is a chosen apostle of Jesus and was commissioned on several occasions to go to cities and preach the Lord’s coming (Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1). Thomas, like all the other disciples, was given power over demons (Luke 10:17). His name is only mentioned a couple of times in the gospels. Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:15 all mention the Lord selecting Thomas along with all the other apostles.
From the time of his selection Thomas is only mentioned in John 11:16 when Jesus is going to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead, and again at the last supper (John 14:15). So the majority of what we know about Thomas comes from John’s interpretation of events after the Lord’s resurrection (John 20:24-29). John spells out the details of Thomas’ doubt in verse 25 when Thomas is quoted as saying to the other apostles, ”Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side I will not believe.” Wow, that pretty much defines disbelief.
To be fair to Thomas I should point out that the Lord rebuked the other ten apostles for their refusal to believe the women who told them of the empty tomb and seeing the Lord (Mark 16:11,14 Luke 24:11). If the other ten apostles also doubted the Lord’s resurrection (Luke 24:41) then why is Thomas looked at with such distain? Namely because he refused to believe the Lord rose from the dead even after the other apostles told him they had seen Him.
In Jesus’ day women were looked down upon so it was one thing to not believe them. However, Thomas took it a step further and doubted ten men who were like brothers to him. These were the men he had lived with on the road for three years. They slept out in open fields or in barns and watched the Lord heal people and even raise the dead. Yes, Thomas saw the Lord raise people from the dead.
So to me the story of Thomas’ refusal to believe would look something like this:
Thomas walks in on a gathering of apostles along with some of the women who knew Jesus and saw the empty tomb. Every member of this group has seen the resurrected Jesus. Several of the men say excitedly to Thomas, “We (the men) have seen the Lord, He is alive.” Thomas is now thinking to himself, “Not this again, first the women now my friends also. What is wrong with these nuts anyway? Can’t you just let Him rest in peace?”
But they continue to press him and he shows little interest in their testimony. Finally he tells them that they are all under a lot of stress and need to take the night off and go see a ball game. The apostles are undeterred and press him further. “Why don’t you believe us?” they demand. “Because I didn’t believe the women when they came back from the grave so why should I believe you?” Thomas responds. “Because women are emotional, so it’s easy to doubt them,” Peter blurts out. “Yea and we are not,” came John’s accommodating response. The women in the room are clearly uplifted by the support the men have just offered.
Thomas remains adamant, and is now becoming increasingly agitated. Finally he blurts out in disgust, “Unless I see with my own eyes that it is Jesus and feel His flesh and can personally vouch for the type of death He suffered by placing my hand in his side I simply will not believe.
The apostles take a step back. Some of the more astute are beginning to wonder if anyone will believe them. Thomas is a friend and he does not believe what they are saying about the Lord’s appearing, what will everyone else think?
Thomas’ disbelief is no different than Paul’s disbelief and the Lord’s brother’s disbelief (John 7:5). What is interesting is that the Lord had to personally appear to all three before they believed (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:14). And that raises a more troubling question. Why should Thomas, Paul and the Lord’s brothers receive eternal life if Jesus had to appear to them before they believed? Wouldn’t that be true of any non-believer today? Aren’t all non-believers today the same as Thomas? They would believe also if Jesus appears to them.
To be fair, Jesus had to appear to someone. He couldn’t just call out from heaven saying, “I’m here.” In order for Jesus to prove He had power over death He had to rise from the dead. Additionally, in order for anyone to believe Jesus had power over death Jesus had to appear to him or her. So, from that we must conclude that Jesus had to appear to someone after He rose from the dead.
Still in all, at one point Jesus would return to heaven and leave the job of evangelism to those He had trained for three years. Then it was incumbent upon the trainees to persuade the non-believers to accept the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. A feat more easily accomplished after they had seen the Lord in the flesh shortly after they saw Him executed (Luke 24:36-43).
Therefore, the apostle’s experience witnessing Thomas disbelief would have greatly impacted them. They would have seen in Thomas the true nature of unbelief. Additionally, the apostles were aware of something else about Thomas. He walked with Jesus for three years and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man. If Thomas did not believe them when they spoke about the resurrection of Jesus, why would anyone else?
Friday, November 9, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
The Man Born Blind
John chapter 9 is the story about a man who was blind from birth, healed by Jesus, and redeemed. As the story begins Jesus and His disciples pass by this man and take notice of him. The disciples ask Jesus about the man's blindness and question Him as to whether it was the result of his own sin, or the sin of his parents. Obviously, this was one of the more intriguing theological questions of the day. Apparently when someone was sick or lame, it was assumed by the masses that sin in their lives caused that infirmity to occur. In other words God got back at them for sinning. The disciples were merely stating a belief preached to them by their religious leaders (John 9:34). It is apparent just how much contempt people had for those who were lame because the disciples asked the question right in front of the man who was blind.
The blind man was probably begging for alms near a temple of worship when the disciples walked up to him. Most beggars of the time went over to the synagogues to attract the attention of worshipers. Worshipers obviously want to get on God’s good side and what better way to get God’s attention than to offer help to a needy person? Therefore, beggars sat outside the temple and petitioned alms from anyone who passed. It’s like saying to the worshipers, “God is watching so you better be kind if you want to get your prayers answered.”
I believe the blind man was in his 30’s and many times before religious leaders of the day debated the issue of his sin right in front of him. They made it clear that the man’s blindness was the result of sin so everyone who passed by him believed he must have sinned in order for this to happen. The blind man obviously believed this to be true also even if he did not know what sin it was that did him in.
This type of thinking breed’s a form of arrogance. As long as we see other people sick when we are well, and believe that their sickness is the result of sin, then we will see ourselves as “Holier then thou.” Job experienced this first hand as his three friends were intent on bringing Job to the point of admitting that he had done something wrong in the eyes of God. Job’s friends were not so concerned about Job’s welfare as much as they were concerned about their own. You see if they could not find sin in Job’s life that warranted this experience then what happened to Job could happen to them also. In the end God appears to Job and chastises his friends about their misunderstanding God’s true reasoning in allowing Job’s suffering to occur.
Jesus’ answer to the disciples question about the blind man follows the same answer God gave to Job. He says it was not his sin, or the sin of his parents, but that the works of God would be revealed. The works of God, what does that mean? All the commentators point to the fact that the man was healed and say that is the part where God’s work is manifested. Nevertheless, the word is “works” not work. The word “Works” in Greek indicates (employment, task) and refers to a process of work not necessarily a single act.
If healing the blind man gives God glory than why didn’t Jesus heal all the lame people He came in contact with? If healing the blind man displayed God’s compassion then the raising of Lazarus would have demonstrated God’s compassion as well, right? If that is true then why didn’t Jesus raise everyone in the graveyard where Lazarus’ body lay? Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). Then Lazarus came forth. If Jesus had said, “Come forth,” all the dead would have come forth and God’s compassion would have been demonstrated all the more. The works that Jesus is referring to will be the culmination of the man’s life not an event on one day.
You see God’ s glory was not just in the man’s healing, but in the man’s life, blind or sight filled. Every time the blind man called on God for help he glorified God, and in effect, humiliated Satan. Satan probably approached the Lord to ask for permission to blind the man from birth. Satan probably said to God that the man would curse God and turn away from Him. There is no evidence the blind man ever cursed God, in fact the opposite appears to be true. Far more importantly however, is the fact of the blind man’s trust.
Jesus instructed the blind man to wash off the clay that Jesus put in his eyes (John 9:6,7). This blind man did not ask to be healed and had pretty much accepted his fate. He was sent to wash his eyes as a testimony of faith in the Lord’s work. The mere fact that the blind man was willing to go over to a pool and wash is an act of faith on his part. The man could have been bitter about his blindness and remained a beggar. Instead he follows the instructions of someone he did not know and believed in His words. Only a man of trust could do that.
Now we are beginning to see the works of God that Jesus was speaking about. This blind man trusted Jesus enough to go and wash his eyes so that he would be healed, yet the religious leaders rejected Jesus’ works and teachings (John 9:29). The blind man accepted his excommunication from the synagogue with little regret and became a follower of Jesus. The works of God that Jesus spoke about are clear from the change of the man. First, the blind man went from being blind and having little trust to following Jesus’ instructions and finally by worshiping Jesus (John 9:38).
The miracle that was performed in this man’s life extends far beyond receiving his sight. The works of God were manifested in the man receiving eternal life and becoming a disciple of Jesus.
The blind man was probably begging for alms near a temple of worship when the disciples walked up to him. Most beggars of the time went over to the synagogues to attract the attention of worshipers. Worshipers obviously want to get on God’s good side and what better way to get God’s attention than to offer help to a needy person? Therefore, beggars sat outside the temple and petitioned alms from anyone who passed. It’s like saying to the worshipers, “God is watching so you better be kind if you want to get your prayers answered.”
I believe the blind man was in his 30’s and many times before religious leaders of the day debated the issue of his sin right in front of him. They made it clear that the man’s blindness was the result of sin so everyone who passed by him believed he must have sinned in order for this to happen. The blind man obviously believed this to be true also even if he did not know what sin it was that did him in.
This type of thinking breed’s a form of arrogance. As long as we see other people sick when we are well, and believe that their sickness is the result of sin, then we will see ourselves as “Holier then thou.” Job experienced this first hand as his three friends were intent on bringing Job to the point of admitting that he had done something wrong in the eyes of God. Job’s friends were not so concerned about Job’s welfare as much as they were concerned about their own. You see if they could not find sin in Job’s life that warranted this experience then what happened to Job could happen to them also. In the end God appears to Job and chastises his friends about their misunderstanding God’s true reasoning in allowing Job’s suffering to occur.
Jesus’ answer to the disciples question about the blind man follows the same answer God gave to Job. He says it was not his sin, or the sin of his parents, but that the works of God would be revealed. The works of God, what does that mean? All the commentators point to the fact that the man was healed and say that is the part where God’s work is manifested. Nevertheless, the word is “works” not work. The word “Works” in Greek indicates (employment, task) and refers to a process of work not necessarily a single act.
If healing the blind man gives God glory than why didn’t Jesus heal all the lame people He came in contact with? If healing the blind man displayed God’s compassion then the raising of Lazarus would have demonstrated God’s compassion as well, right? If that is true then why didn’t Jesus raise everyone in the graveyard where Lazarus’ body lay? Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). Then Lazarus came forth. If Jesus had said, “Come forth,” all the dead would have come forth and God’s compassion would have been demonstrated all the more. The works that Jesus is referring to will be the culmination of the man’s life not an event on one day.
You see God’ s glory was not just in the man’s healing, but in the man’s life, blind or sight filled. Every time the blind man called on God for help he glorified God, and in effect, humiliated Satan. Satan probably approached the Lord to ask for permission to blind the man from birth. Satan probably said to God that the man would curse God and turn away from Him. There is no evidence the blind man ever cursed God, in fact the opposite appears to be true. Far more importantly however, is the fact of the blind man’s trust.
Jesus instructed the blind man to wash off the clay that Jesus put in his eyes (John 9:6,7). This blind man did not ask to be healed and had pretty much accepted his fate. He was sent to wash his eyes as a testimony of faith in the Lord’s work. The mere fact that the blind man was willing to go over to a pool and wash is an act of faith on his part. The man could have been bitter about his blindness and remained a beggar. Instead he follows the instructions of someone he did not know and believed in His words. Only a man of trust could do that.
Now we are beginning to see the works of God that Jesus was speaking about. This blind man trusted Jesus enough to go and wash his eyes so that he would be healed, yet the religious leaders rejected Jesus’ works and teachings (John 9:29). The blind man accepted his excommunication from the synagogue with little regret and became a follower of Jesus. The works of God that Jesus spoke about are clear from the change of the man. First, the blind man went from being blind and having little trust to following Jesus’ instructions and finally by worshiping Jesus (John 9:38).
The miracle that was performed in this man’s life extends far beyond receiving his sight. The works of God were manifested in the man receiving eternal life and becoming a disciple of Jesus.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Jesus in the Desert
The temptation of Jesus is found in Luke 4:1-13 as well as Matthew 4:1-11 and a shorter version in Mark 1:12,13. All three authors specifically state that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert for the purpose of the temptation and the period lasted forty days. Luke specifically states that Jesus was tempted by the devil for the entire forty-day ordeal. However the only reference to what was actually said between Jesus and Satan takes place at the end of the forty days.
Forty days is a significant number for at least three reasons. The rainfall that caused the flood that only Noah’s family survived lasted forty days (Genesis 7:17). Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days receiving instructions on how the Israelites were to conduct themselves (Exodus 24:18). Jonah told the people of Nineveh that they would be destroyed in forty days (Jonah 3:4). Jesus obviously selected a forty-day fast because of the importance of that number.
What Satan said to Jesus at the end of forty days is fascinating in the human sense. Luke states the Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones into bread as the first temptation. Upon failing, he then shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and offers them to Jesus if He will pay homage to Satan. Strike two. Finally, Satan takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple and tries to get Him to jump off claiming that Jesus would not be hurt because he is the Son of God. Strike three. Then Satan leaves. Finally, now Jesus has some peace and quiet.
Lets take a look at what Satan offered Jesus and the cost of each reward. First Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones to bread, a simple enough task for someone who will soon turn water into wine. The stones could have been turned into bread as any time during the forty-day fast, yet Satan waits until the last day to temp Jesus. Apparently, a fast was not considered over until sunset and Satan was trying to get Jesus to break His fast before the proper time and at the time when Jesus would have been weakest. Satan is a trickster, no doubt about that. He probably said to Jesus, “What’s the big deal, you have been at this for forty days why not end the fast now a few hours before sunset? God won’t mind.” Nevertheless, Jesus holds his ground. He can wait until after sunset.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. That means the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and all the other empires that existed from that time until now including America. Jesus would have had the power to control certain events just as Satan does now. No doubt Satan had considerable influence in Germany during the Hitler years. Hitler’s commitment to remove all Jews from Europe must have come from Satan. Who else would have any reason to wipe out the entire Jewish population in Europe?
Third, Satan takes Jesus to jump from a high point on the temple. This seems to be a test of Jesus’ own faith. Would Jesus be willing to take a dive to prove to Satan that He trusted God enough to spare Him injury? Once again Jesus uses scripture to keep Satan at bay.
Satan offers Jesus three things that are common to the fulfillment of man. First, changing stones to bread satisfies the need of daily sustenance. The need for daily bread is emphasized in the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Man’s first desire is to fulfill his need for food.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. This represents man’s need for power, or control over his life. We all want our ventures in life to come to fruition. No one wants to open up a business and watch it fail. No one wants to paint a picture that others will not like. We want to be successful. People who own large businesses are considered successful. The same can be said about people who have power and influence. What Satan offered Jesus is what we consider success.
Third Satan tries to get Jesus to take a dive to prove He won’t get hurt. This represents man’s desire not to get hurt in what we attempt to do in life. Whether it is the fear of rejection when we ask someone out for a date, or attempt to ski down a slope we have never tried before. We don’t mind the challenge as long as there is no pain. Yes it is true; Satan knows just what man wants.
All three tests lead us to ask a more intriguing set of questions. What was the point of asking Jesus all these questions? Did Satan tempt Jesus with doubts about His own belief that He was the Son of God? Or was Satan wondering if Jesus was the Son of God and wanted proof to confirm his theory. When Jesus was a man He experienced the same things we experience every day. Satan knew this and attacked Jesus with the experience he had in dealing with humans. Satan wanted to destroy Jesus either emotionally, or physically it didn’t matter. All that mattered is that he succeed in ruining the man Jesus.
Jesus was tempted in all way just as we are yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Satan tempts believer’s everyday with doubts about their salvation, doubts about whether God hears their prayers and even doubts if God exists. He has been at this a long time and doesn’t take a vacation.
Sooner or later all believers end up in a desert. While we are there we will experience temptation and pain. Consider the example that Jesus gave us when He was in the desert. Quote scripture and stay focused.
Forty days is a significant number for at least three reasons. The rainfall that caused the flood that only Noah’s family survived lasted forty days (Genesis 7:17). Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days receiving instructions on how the Israelites were to conduct themselves (Exodus 24:18). Jonah told the people of Nineveh that they would be destroyed in forty days (Jonah 3:4). Jesus obviously selected a forty-day fast because of the importance of that number.
What Satan said to Jesus at the end of forty days is fascinating in the human sense. Luke states the Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones into bread as the first temptation. Upon failing, he then shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and offers them to Jesus if He will pay homage to Satan. Strike two. Finally, Satan takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple and tries to get Him to jump off claiming that Jesus would not be hurt because he is the Son of God. Strike three. Then Satan leaves. Finally, now Jesus has some peace and quiet.
Lets take a look at what Satan offered Jesus and the cost of each reward. First Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones to bread, a simple enough task for someone who will soon turn water into wine. The stones could have been turned into bread as any time during the forty-day fast, yet Satan waits until the last day to temp Jesus. Apparently, a fast was not considered over until sunset and Satan was trying to get Jesus to break His fast before the proper time and at the time when Jesus would have been weakest. Satan is a trickster, no doubt about that. He probably said to Jesus, “What’s the big deal, you have been at this for forty days why not end the fast now a few hours before sunset? God won’t mind.” Nevertheless, Jesus holds his ground. He can wait until after sunset.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. That means the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and all the other empires that existed from that time until now including America. Jesus would have had the power to control certain events just as Satan does now. No doubt Satan had considerable influence in Germany during the Hitler years. Hitler’s commitment to remove all Jews from Europe must have come from Satan. Who else would have any reason to wipe out the entire Jewish population in Europe?
Third, Satan takes Jesus to jump from a high point on the temple. This seems to be a test of Jesus’ own faith. Would Jesus be willing to take a dive to prove to Satan that He trusted God enough to spare Him injury? Once again Jesus uses scripture to keep Satan at bay.
Satan offers Jesus three things that are common to the fulfillment of man. First, changing stones to bread satisfies the need of daily sustenance. The need for daily bread is emphasized in the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Man’s first desire is to fulfill his need for food.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. This represents man’s need for power, or control over his life. We all want our ventures in life to come to fruition. No one wants to open up a business and watch it fail. No one wants to paint a picture that others will not like. We want to be successful. People who own large businesses are considered successful. The same can be said about people who have power and influence. What Satan offered Jesus is what we consider success.
Third Satan tries to get Jesus to take a dive to prove He won’t get hurt. This represents man’s desire not to get hurt in what we attempt to do in life. Whether it is the fear of rejection when we ask someone out for a date, or attempt to ski down a slope we have never tried before. We don’t mind the challenge as long as there is no pain. Yes it is true; Satan knows just what man wants.
All three tests lead us to ask a more intriguing set of questions. What was the point of asking Jesus all these questions? Did Satan tempt Jesus with doubts about His own belief that He was the Son of God? Or was Satan wondering if Jesus was the Son of God and wanted proof to confirm his theory. When Jesus was a man He experienced the same things we experience every day. Satan knew this and attacked Jesus with the experience he had in dealing with humans. Satan wanted to destroy Jesus either emotionally, or physically it didn’t matter. All that mattered is that he succeed in ruining the man Jesus.
Jesus was tempted in all way just as we are yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Satan tempts believer’s everyday with doubts about their salvation, doubts about whether God hears their prayers and even doubts if God exists. He has been at this a long time and doesn’t take a vacation.
Sooner or later all believers end up in a desert. While we are there we will experience temptation and pain. Consider the example that Jesus gave us when He was in the desert. Quote scripture and stay focused.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Satan and Believers
To me, two of the most fascinating chapters in the Bible are the first two chapters of Job. I say this for several reasons. First of which is the description of the angelic world that we do not see, but hear about often enough in the New Testament. For the sake of brevity I will only focus on the angelic activity in the first two chapters of Job and avoid all comments about Job’s life and affairs. Job 1:6 points to a day when the “Sons of God” come to present themselves before the Lord. None of the commentaries I use state what exactly the angels are presenting to the Lord except to say their work, or their assignments. In other words the Lord has apparently given tasks to the angels and this day is when they update Him on their progress.
The day that is referred to in Job Chapter 1 appears to be along the lines of a big company meeting; the kind of day when all the high falutin muckity mucks get together and tell the Board of Directors why they should keep their six digit jobs. There seems to be striking similarities between the activities of God and the activities of man. This would make sense as man was made in the image of God and we, no doubt, function our lives accordingly as well. So just as the angels are required to appear before the Lord at certain times to give an account of their activities, so high paid executives are required to appear before their bosses to give updates as well.
Satan’s reason to be there may indicate that he is giving a report on his doings also. Just as the angles are showing charts and graphs about the progress of their assignments, so Satan is accusing the brethren before the Lord (Revelation 12:10). In other words, he is giving a report on his progress as well. Satan is not one to take a hint though. Even when Job did not curse God after his possessions were destroyed, Satan still desired to take his health in an attempt to get Job to curse God.
When Adam and Eve were initially put in the garden they were told to enjoy themselves. After their disobedience however, Adam is confined to work the ground for his sustenance. In order for him to remain healthy he must accomplish this task properly. Likewise, the angels are given tasks and they must complete them competently. The angelic tasks are not clearly defined in the Bible. Hebrews 1:14 refers to angels as ministering spirits sent to render service to those of us who will inherit eternal life.
This rather vague description of angels leaves us in the dark as to what exactly they are doing. It appears that they may be defending those of us who believe from the workings of Satan and his henchmen (fallen angels). Angels were probably the “hedge” that Satan referred to when he tried to get at Job originally (Job 1:10). Obviously, he had already attempted to get at Job and failed. This may explain why Satan was so determined to attack Job and even dared God to remove the hedge to see if Job would curse God. Even after destroying all that Job possessed, Satan wanted to harm Job physically in order to get Job to curse God. There must have been a strong angelic force around Job during this time to ensure that Satan could only do what God had permitted him to do.
Angels also ministered to Jesus after Satan had tempted him in the desert (Mark 1:13). Additionally, Jesus stated He had the power to call twelve legions of angels to assist him at the time of his arrest (Matthew 26:53). Scripture does not make it clear what the angels are doing when they are “ministering” to Jesus as stated in Mark 1:13 and it is not clear how they minister to us during our daily walk. Nevertheless, their existence is clearly stated in the Bible and they are on earth for our benefit.
Could it be that the story of Job was written for us to better understand the metaphysical realm of our existence? Could it be that Satan enters God’s kingdom and asks for the opportunity to destroy each of us at different times? Could it be that God allows certain pains to enter our lives as a result of these attacks? If the answer is yes, then one needs to explain how the deaths of Job’s children would have made him a better person? No doubt Job would have been a more sympathetic person when it came to the hurts and needs of others, yet it is not clear to me why he would have had to suffer so much just to be more sympathetic.
Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat (Luke 22:31). Apparently Satan had entered God’s kingdom yet again this time to attack Peter. This was the precursor to Peter’s three-time denial of Jesus. When Satan asked to sift him like wheat he was actually saying he wanted to separate Peter from the true followers of Jesus. This was Satan’s attempt to prove that Peter was not a true follower. The tactic used is similar to the tactic used against Job. Satan dares God to strike Job in an attempt to get Job to curse God; in Peter’s case he dares God to see if Peter will deny he knows Jesus. I wonder what Satan is asking God to take away from you to see how you will react?
Satan’s desire to destroy man began with Adam and Eve and continues to this day. It continues with each one of God’s children and it will continue until the Lord returns. A good lesson to learn about Satan’s tactics is learned from his method of operation with his tempting of Jesus in the desert. Keep in mind that Luke 4:13 states that after Satan failed to provoke Jesus he left Him and waited for a more opportune time to tempt Him again. He will do the same to us as well.
The day that is referred to in Job Chapter 1 appears to be along the lines of a big company meeting; the kind of day when all the high falutin muckity mucks get together and tell the Board of Directors why they should keep their six digit jobs. There seems to be striking similarities between the activities of God and the activities of man. This would make sense as man was made in the image of God and we, no doubt, function our lives accordingly as well. So just as the angels are required to appear before the Lord at certain times to give an account of their activities, so high paid executives are required to appear before their bosses to give updates as well.
Satan’s reason to be there may indicate that he is giving a report on his doings also. Just as the angles are showing charts and graphs about the progress of their assignments, so Satan is accusing the brethren before the Lord (Revelation 12:10). In other words, he is giving a report on his progress as well. Satan is not one to take a hint though. Even when Job did not curse God after his possessions were destroyed, Satan still desired to take his health in an attempt to get Job to curse God.
When Adam and Eve were initially put in the garden they were told to enjoy themselves. After their disobedience however, Adam is confined to work the ground for his sustenance. In order for him to remain healthy he must accomplish this task properly. Likewise, the angels are given tasks and they must complete them competently. The angelic tasks are not clearly defined in the Bible. Hebrews 1:14 refers to angels as ministering spirits sent to render service to those of us who will inherit eternal life.
This rather vague description of angels leaves us in the dark as to what exactly they are doing. It appears that they may be defending those of us who believe from the workings of Satan and his henchmen (fallen angels). Angels were probably the “hedge” that Satan referred to when he tried to get at Job originally (Job 1:10). Obviously, he had already attempted to get at Job and failed. This may explain why Satan was so determined to attack Job and even dared God to remove the hedge to see if Job would curse God. Even after destroying all that Job possessed, Satan wanted to harm Job physically in order to get Job to curse God. There must have been a strong angelic force around Job during this time to ensure that Satan could only do what God had permitted him to do.
Angels also ministered to Jesus after Satan had tempted him in the desert (Mark 1:13). Additionally, Jesus stated He had the power to call twelve legions of angels to assist him at the time of his arrest (Matthew 26:53). Scripture does not make it clear what the angels are doing when they are “ministering” to Jesus as stated in Mark 1:13 and it is not clear how they minister to us during our daily walk. Nevertheless, their existence is clearly stated in the Bible and they are on earth for our benefit.
Could it be that the story of Job was written for us to better understand the metaphysical realm of our existence? Could it be that Satan enters God’s kingdom and asks for the opportunity to destroy each of us at different times? Could it be that God allows certain pains to enter our lives as a result of these attacks? If the answer is yes, then one needs to explain how the deaths of Job’s children would have made him a better person? No doubt Job would have been a more sympathetic person when it came to the hurts and needs of others, yet it is not clear to me why he would have had to suffer so much just to be more sympathetic.
Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat (Luke 22:31). Apparently Satan had entered God’s kingdom yet again this time to attack Peter. This was the precursor to Peter’s three-time denial of Jesus. When Satan asked to sift him like wheat he was actually saying he wanted to separate Peter from the true followers of Jesus. This was Satan’s attempt to prove that Peter was not a true follower. The tactic used is similar to the tactic used against Job. Satan dares God to strike Job in an attempt to get Job to curse God; in Peter’s case he dares God to see if Peter will deny he knows Jesus. I wonder what Satan is asking God to take away from you to see how you will react?
Satan’s desire to destroy man began with Adam and Eve and continues to this day. It continues with each one of God’s children and it will continue until the Lord returns. A good lesson to learn about Satan’s tactics is learned from his method of operation with his tempting of Jesus in the desert. Keep in mind that Luke 4:13 states that after Satan failed to provoke Jesus he left Him and waited for a more opportune time to tempt Him again. He will do the same to us as well.
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Fall
Zephaniah is a book of the Old Testament that is only three chapters long. It is so short and difficult to find that you may need a bloodhound to dig it up. For the sake of this writing, I am only interested in verse 3:1, which states, “The Lord your God is in your midst. A victorious warrior. He will exalt over you with joy, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of Joy.”
The verse clearly is in reference to Israel’s repentance and God’s joy as a result of that repentance. Still in all, we must keep two clear points in mind. First, 2 Corinthians 1:20 clearly states that Old Testament promises are for Christians as well. Second, Luke 15:10 quotes Jesus as stating that God’s angels rejoice over one sinner who repents. How much more joy will the Lord have at the same time? With that in mind I wish to bring you to a closer understanding of the metaphysical world that surrounds us, yet is not seen and rarely discussed.
With all this rejoicing going on we can begin to see a glimpse of the battle lines drawn between God and Satan. Genesis chapter 3 and Job chapters 1-2 both offer tantalizing clues about the nature of the eternal realm that transcends our mortal existence. Satan, apparently unable to appear to Eve in his natural form, takes on the form of a serpent in order to communicate with her. His objective is clear, albeit not to Eve. Jesus said that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. In the case of Adam and Eve, Satan’s mission was to steal their relationship of trust with each other, to kill their daily fellowship with God, and to destroy mankind’s opportunity to continue to live in paradise. Mission accomplished.
There is nothing new with Satan. His objective today is the same as it was with Adam and Eve. He will steal, kill and destroy your relationship with your spouse, your children, and fellow believers. It is what he does and he is good at it.
Yet a more intriguing question here is why did Satan choose to be evil in the first place? Here we have the highest-ranking angel in God’s kingdom choosing to rebel against God. Why? What could have possibly caused this catastrophic revolt? I am of the persuasion that mankind has more to do with this then we realize. Adam and Eve were made in the image of God and that raises the question of what were angels made like? The Bible teaches that God made the earth and the animals and then states that man was made in His image. There is no mention of what appearance the angels had when they were created.
This is The Reason Why Satan rebelled against God. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God and spoke with him daily prior to the fall. Their relationship with God was very different than the relationship angels have with God. Angels are servants of God and were created to follow orders. Adam and Eve were provided a large piece of land that we have come to call paradise where they were given the responsibility to care for the land and live in peace with the animals. Their relationship with God was like that of a father with his children. Adam and Eve did not know about angels, as they could not see them. So when Satan wished to appear to them he had no choice, but to appear in the form of an animal. Satan apparently envied the fact the man was acknowledging God as the authority. Man did not acknowledge Satan at all.
No doubt this greatly bothered Satan as he was regarded very highly by his fellow angels. Satan had received considerable respect from his fellow angels the same way a military general would receive respect and honor from subordinate military personal. So it seems apparent Satan was infuriated when neither Adam nor Eve could see him. They could not show honor to someone they could not see. It was as if Satan was told he couldn’t play in this sandbox. Tell a child they can’t play in someone’s sandbox and what do they do? They pout; and have a temper tantrum. Sounds like someone we know doesn’t it?
There is little scriptural evidence to support this theory, as there are few Bible verses on the subject of Satan. Still in all, the theory is plausible and no one to my knowledge has ever explained why a being with the status of Satan would rebel against a being with the status of God. Satan’s rebellion occurred because of two reasons, the first commandment and the tenth commandment. Naturally, the commandments were not yet given to Moses nevertheless, the Lord God almighty clearly knew that violating them would lead to problems even before they were written.
The first commandment states: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me. The tenth commandment states: You shall not covet. Satan violated the first commandment by worshiping a god that he felt was more important then the Lord God; namely, himself. The tenth commandment was violated because Satan desired fellowship with Adam and Eve the way they had fellowship with God. He desired it to the point that he would go so far as to deceive Eve and destroy her fellowship with God and Adam. In other words Satan was saying, “If I can’t have your respect then no one can have it.” This thinking is very typical of men who abuse and control women.
I will conclude by saying that the creation of man invariably resulted in Satan’s rebellion and that ultimately resulted in the desertion of what is believed to be a third of God’s angelic army. I will discuss more about this complex and confusing issue in future blogs.
The verse clearly is in reference to Israel’s repentance and God’s joy as a result of that repentance. Still in all, we must keep two clear points in mind. First, 2 Corinthians 1:20 clearly states that Old Testament promises are for Christians as well. Second, Luke 15:10 quotes Jesus as stating that God’s angels rejoice over one sinner who repents. How much more joy will the Lord have at the same time? With that in mind I wish to bring you to a closer understanding of the metaphysical world that surrounds us, yet is not seen and rarely discussed.
With all this rejoicing going on we can begin to see a glimpse of the battle lines drawn between God and Satan. Genesis chapter 3 and Job chapters 1-2 both offer tantalizing clues about the nature of the eternal realm that transcends our mortal existence. Satan, apparently unable to appear to Eve in his natural form, takes on the form of a serpent in order to communicate with her. His objective is clear, albeit not to Eve. Jesus said that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. In the case of Adam and Eve, Satan’s mission was to steal their relationship of trust with each other, to kill their daily fellowship with God, and to destroy mankind’s opportunity to continue to live in paradise. Mission accomplished.
There is nothing new with Satan. His objective today is the same as it was with Adam and Eve. He will steal, kill and destroy your relationship with your spouse, your children, and fellow believers. It is what he does and he is good at it.
Yet a more intriguing question here is why did Satan choose to be evil in the first place? Here we have the highest-ranking angel in God’s kingdom choosing to rebel against God. Why? What could have possibly caused this catastrophic revolt? I am of the persuasion that mankind has more to do with this then we realize. Adam and Eve were made in the image of God and that raises the question of what were angels made like? The Bible teaches that God made the earth and the animals and then states that man was made in His image. There is no mention of what appearance the angels had when they were created.
This is The Reason Why Satan rebelled against God. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God and spoke with him daily prior to the fall. Their relationship with God was very different than the relationship angels have with God. Angels are servants of God and were created to follow orders. Adam and Eve were provided a large piece of land that we have come to call paradise where they were given the responsibility to care for the land and live in peace with the animals. Their relationship with God was like that of a father with his children. Adam and Eve did not know about angels, as they could not see them. So when Satan wished to appear to them he had no choice, but to appear in the form of an animal. Satan apparently envied the fact the man was acknowledging God as the authority. Man did not acknowledge Satan at all.
No doubt this greatly bothered Satan as he was regarded very highly by his fellow angels. Satan had received considerable respect from his fellow angels the same way a military general would receive respect and honor from subordinate military personal. So it seems apparent Satan was infuriated when neither Adam nor Eve could see him. They could not show honor to someone they could not see. It was as if Satan was told he couldn’t play in this sandbox. Tell a child they can’t play in someone’s sandbox and what do they do? They pout; and have a temper tantrum. Sounds like someone we know doesn’t it?
There is little scriptural evidence to support this theory, as there are few Bible verses on the subject of Satan. Still in all, the theory is plausible and no one to my knowledge has ever explained why a being with the status of Satan would rebel against a being with the status of God. Satan’s rebellion occurred because of two reasons, the first commandment and the tenth commandment. Naturally, the commandments were not yet given to Moses nevertheless, the Lord God almighty clearly knew that violating them would lead to problems even before they were written.
The first commandment states: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me. The tenth commandment states: You shall not covet. Satan violated the first commandment by worshiping a god that he felt was more important then the Lord God; namely, himself. The tenth commandment was violated because Satan desired fellowship with Adam and Eve the way they had fellowship with God. He desired it to the point that he would go so far as to deceive Eve and destroy her fellowship with God and Adam. In other words Satan was saying, “If I can’t have your respect then no one can have it.” This thinking is very typical of men who abuse and control women.
I will conclude by saying that the creation of man invariably resulted in Satan’s rebellion and that ultimately resulted in the desertion of what is believed to be a third of God’s angelic army. I will discuss more about this complex and confusing issue in future blogs.
Friday, October 5, 2007
A Tale of Two Cities
In Matthew 10:1-15 and again in Matthew 11:20-24 Jesus denounces several cities and makes a comment about the judgment day. “Truly, I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:24). Jesus was speaking about Capernaum, a city in Palestine where he had performed several miracles and yet the people did not repent. The word “Truly” is also translated verily and stresses the certainty with which it will occur.
The comments Jesus makes raise a number of questions about the judgment day and why some will be shown more mercy than others and why. Another more intriguing issues is what does Jesus mean by more tolerable. I always thought heaven was heaven and hell was hell. How could anything be more or less tolerable? Another fascinating view of the judgment day is found in Matthew 25:34-40 where Jesus speaks about those who show kindness to others. The Lord points out that whatever you do to the least of his brothers you have done it to Him.
For a moment I want to take a closer look at Sodom and Gomorrah. The story is found in Genesis chapter 18 through 19. To make a long story short the Lord sees the sexual misconduct of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord decides to toast the place. He sends two angels to get Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and his family out of town before the fireworks start. Once they are gone the pyrotechnic show begins and the rest is Biblical history.
There is clearly no tolerance in the eyes of the Lord for homosexuality. Yet, what is interesting here is that the Lord says there is more tolerance for that city of ill repute than for a city that Jesus visited, but did not come to repentance. The reason may be as simple, or as complex, as the man Lot. Lot lived in Sodom for several years and was well known to the inhabitants of the city (Genesis 19:4). Lot was a Jew and quite probably the only witness to these non-believers about the living God. The apostle Peter speaks of Lot briefly in his letter (2 Peter 2:7) calling him a righteous man oppressed by the misconduct of immoral men.
When the men of the city surround Lot’s house they demand he bring out his two guests. Their intentions are obvious; they want to have sexual relations with the two guests. Lot offers them his own daughters instead and this only infuriates the men. I can only imagine what the daughters felt while this was going on. First, their father offers them to a mob of men to do whatever they want to them. Second, the men turn this offer down and demand that Lot give them the guests in his house. The daughters are first appalled by their father’s offer to the mob then they are humiliated by the fact that the men turned them down for other men. What could be more insulting to a woman? All kidding aside, we do need to understand what Jesus meant when he said “more tolerable.”
There is very little detailed information about heaven and hell in the New Testament. Jesus spoke about heaven using parables and He described hell as a place of torment. Nevertheless, when Jesus says more tolerable that clearly indicates that He will consider mitigating circumstances when determining our fate on the judgment day.
For a moment I see myself on the judgment day standing beside someone from the town of Sodom. Jesus walks up to that person and says, “All your life you never tried to know God, or serve Him you only served yourself.” Then the person says to God, “That’s true but if I would have seen you perform miracles like you did in Capernaum I would have repented.” Then Jesus would say, “That’s true and I will consider this before determining your fate.” While this person would not be completely relieved it certainly would have taken a load off his mind.
This raises other more fascinating questions about what would make things more tolerable on the Day of Judgment. If an atheist offers refuge to a Christian in a time when Christians are persecuted would that atheist be shown mercy more then they would have without the kind gesture? I think the atheist would be shown mercy. Lets take it from another angle. We’ll say that a non-believer sees a homeless person on the street near his home. The non-believer feels the need to help the homeless person and brings the homeless person some food and soft drinks. From time to time the non-believer even brings the homeless person into his home when it is really cold outside. On the judgment day what will the Lord say?
I think he will say, “That which you have done to the least of my brothers you did unto me.” I think that will make things more tolerable for the non-believer on the judgment day. If that is so then how much more will believers receive from the Lord when they show kindness to the homeless and even more importantly when they show kindness to each other? (Galatians 6:10)
The comments Jesus makes raise a number of questions about the judgment day and why some will be shown more mercy than others and why. Another more intriguing issues is what does Jesus mean by more tolerable. I always thought heaven was heaven and hell was hell. How could anything be more or less tolerable? Another fascinating view of the judgment day is found in Matthew 25:34-40 where Jesus speaks about those who show kindness to others. The Lord points out that whatever you do to the least of his brothers you have done it to Him.
For a moment I want to take a closer look at Sodom and Gomorrah. The story is found in Genesis chapter 18 through 19. To make a long story short the Lord sees the sexual misconduct of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord decides to toast the place. He sends two angels to get Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and his family out of town before the fireworks start. Once they are gone the pyrotechnic show begins and the rest is Biblical history.
There is clearly no tolerance in the eyes of the Lord for homosexuality. Yet, what is interesting here is that the Lord says there is more tolerance for that city of ill repute than for a city that Jesus visited, but did not come to repentance. The reason may be as simple, or as complex, as the man Lot. Lot lived in Sodom for several years and was well known to the inhabitants of the city (Genesis 19:4). Lot was a Jew and quite probably the only witness to these non-believers about the living God. The apostle Peter speaks of Lot briefly in his letter (2 Peter 2:7) calling him a righteous man oppressed by the misconduct of immoral men.
When the men of the city surround Lot’s house they demand he bring out his two guests. Their intentions are obvious; they want to have sexual relations with the two guests. Lot offers them his own daughters instead and this only infuriates the men. I can only imagine what the daughters felt while this was going on. First, their father offers them to a mob of men to do whatever they want to them. Second, the men turn this offer down and demand that Lot give them the guests in his house. The daughters are first appalled by their father’s offer to the mob then they are humiliated by the fact that the men turned them down for other men. What could be more insulting to a woman? All kidding aside, we do need to understand what Jesus meant when he said “more tolerable.”
There is very little detailed information about heaven and hell in the New Testament. Jesus spoke about heaven using parables and He described hell as a place of torment. Nevertheless, when Jesus says more tolerable that clearly indicates that He will consider mitigating circumstances when determining our fate on the judgment day.
For a moment I see myself on the judgment day standing beside someone from the town of Sodom. Jesus walks up to that person and says, “All your life you never tried to know God, or serve Him you only served yourself.” Then the person says to God, “That’s true but if I would have seen you perform miracles like you did in Capernaum I would have repented.” Then Jesus would say, “That’s true and I will consider this before determining your fate.” While this person would not be completely relieved it certainly would have taken a load off his mind.
This raises other more fascinating questions about what would make things more tolerable on the Day of Judgment. If an atheist offers refuge to a Christian in a time when Christians are persecuted would that atheist be shown mercy more then they would have without the kind gesture? I think the atheist would be shown mercy. Lets take it from another angle. We’ll say that a non-believer sees a homeless person on the street near his home. The non-believer feels the need to help the homeless person and brings the homeless person some food and soft drinks. From time to time the non-believer even brings the homeless person into his home when it is really cold outside. On the judgment day what will the Lord say?
I think he will say, “That which you have done to the least of my brothers you did unto me.” I think that will make things more tolerable for the non-believer on the judgment day. If that is so then how much more will believers receive from the Lord when they show kindness to the homeless and even more importantly when they show kindness to each other? (Galatians 6:10)
Friday, September 28, 2007
The Thief on the Cross
If I were to ask you which Bible figure has the most faith whom would you say it is? The usual suspects come to mind right away: Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Deborah, Ruth and on and on. While it is true these figures are people of great faith along with many other Bible figures, the one person I see as the Bible figure of great faith is a person few would mention: The thief on the cross. What is so pathetic about my selection is the man’s name is not known. I can only refer to my selection as “The Thief”.
Luke 23:39-43 tells the story of the two men who were crucified along side of Jesus. The Roman government ruled its conquered states with absolute control. They lined up crosses at the busiest intersections and roads for maximum exposure. The condemned were stripped of all clothing with arms and legs spread out for complete exposure. The point of crucifixion was to inflict abject humiliation prior to death. In other words the Romans were saying to all who witnessed an execution - you don’t want to be where he is, do you? The cross was clearly the most effective means of law and order. Mere thieves were crucified (Matthew 27:38).
When Jesus was crucified the two men who were crucified with him were insulting him along with everyone else (Matthew 27:44). Later however, one of the two men has a second thought about who is dying beside him and says something that almost defies logic. The man says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Consider for a moment the absurdity of such a statement. This is a dying man looking at another dying man and asking to be brought into his kingdom. What could that man have seen to bring him to the point of asking Jesus to allow him into paradise? If Jesus were dying at the same time the thief is dying then why would the thief think that Jesus had any power to enter any paradise?
The more one ponders this the more illogical it becomes. Why didn’t the thief say? “Hey Jesus I’m sorry this is happening to you man, you deserve far better.” Sounds reasonable. Or perhaps, “Jesus I know you made a lot of enemies, but you shouldn’t be here with us that’s for sure”. That would be reasonable as well. No, the thief looks at Jesus and asks to be brought into His kingdom. It is important to keep in mind the apostles saw Jesus as a prophet and a great man of God more than someone who had a kingdom in heaven (Luke 24:13-24). (Yes it is true that the apostle John and his brother desired to sit on the left and right side of Jesus when he came into his kingdom however, it is also true they did not believe the women who came back from the empty grave). The apostles wanted Jesus to rule Jerusalem and probably overthrow the Roman government. This thief saw Jesus as few had seen him before, as Lord of the universe. Who was this thief anyway?
First we need to evaluate the status of this man. Matthew says he is a robber. The word robber as is used in Matthew 27:38 is translated (one who plunders openly and by violence). Put simply, this man was a thug. It is unlikely he was a Roman citizen, as they probably never were executed by crucifixion. More than likely he was as Jewish as Jesus and probably a repeat offender. He knew the other man crucified on the other side of Jesus as he says to him, “…we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds…” Luke 23:41. This would indicate they knew of each other’s bad habits. They were probably members of the same union, or hung out at the local sports tavern when a game was on. Either way it is clear he was not on the short list for High Priest.
So the overall question that needs to be answered is what could have caused this man to look into the face of another dying human and ask permission to enter into his kingdom? Remember Jesus was not just dying; he was also bloodied and beaten. He was clearly as human as the thief. Nevertheless, the thief sees Jesus as a king. It is difficult to fathom what could have caused this epiphany.
Difficult that is until one looks at Luke 23:34 where Jesus says, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing?” Luke points out that Jesus said this several verses before he speaks with the thief about his future reservations. I believe the thief saw something in the way Jesus forgave his executioners that caused him to see the metaphysical scenario as it is actually being played out. The thief sees Jesus asking God to forgive everyone standing below him from the Roman soldiers who were casting lots for his clothing, to the Jewish priest who wanted him executed. At that point the thief concluded Jesus must be from another part of town. How many people do you know would ask God to forgive the very people who are killing them? I’ll save you the trouble of thinking about it; the answer is not very many.
So, from this one statement of Jesus asking God to forgive his tormentors comes a man who’s faith far exceeds that of all the others prior to him. God appeared to Abraham and Moses and it was God’s direct leading that caused all the prophets to say what they said. Yet this thief becomes a man of great faith by merely witnessing Jesus forgive his enemies. Is it any wonder why the Lord’s Prayer includes “Forgive us of our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us?” Matthew 6:12. Is it any wonder indeed?
Luke 23:39-43 tells the story of the two men who were crucified along side of Jesus. The Roman government ruled its conquered states with absolute control. They lined up crosses at the busiest intersections and roads for maximum exposure. The condemned were stripped of all clothing with arms and legs spread out for complete exposure. The point of crucifixion was to inflict abject humiliation prior to death. In other words the Romans were saying to all who witnessed an execution - you don’t want to be where he is, do you? The cross was clearly the most effective means of law and order. Mere thieves were crucified (Matthew 27:38).
When Jesus was crucified the two men who were crucified with him were insulting him along with everyone else (Matthew 27:44). Later however, one of the two men has a second thought about who is dying beside him and says something that almost defies logic. The man says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Consider for a moment the absurdity of such a statement. This is a dying man looking at another dying man and asking to be brought into his kingdom. What could that man have seen to bring him to the point of asking Jesus to allow him into paradise? If Jesus were dying at the same time the thief is dying then why would the thief think that Jesus had any power to enter any paradise?
The more one ponders this the more illogical it becomes. Why didn’t the thief say? “Hey Jesus I’m sorry this is happening to you man, you deserve far better.” Sounds reasonable. Or perhaps, “Jesus I know you made a lot of enemies, but you shouldn’t be here with us that’s for sure”. That would be reasonable as well. No, the thief looks at Jesus and asks to be brought into His kingdom. It is important to keep in mind the apostles saw Jesus as a prophet and a great man of God more than someone who had a kingdom in heaven (Luke 24:13-24). (Yes it is true that the apostle John and his brother desired to sit on the left and right side of Jesus when he came into his kingdom however, it is also true they did not believe the women who came back from the empty grave). The apostles wanted Jesus to rule Jerusalem and probably overthrow the Roman government. This thief saw Jesus as few had seen him before, as Lord of the universe. Who was this thief anyway?
First we need to evaluate the status of this man. Matthew says he is a robber. The word robber as is used in Matthew 27:38 is translated (one who plunders openly and by violence). Put simply, this man was a thug. It is unlikely he was a Roman citizen, as they probably never were executed by crucifixion. More than likely he was as Jewish as Jesus and probably a repeat offender. He knew the other man crucified on the other side of Jesus as he says to him, “…we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds…” Luke 23:41. This would indicate they knew of each other’s bad habits. They were probably members of the same union, or hung out at the local sports tavern when a game was on. Either way it is clear he was not on the short list for High Priest.
So the overall question that needs to be answered is what could have caused this man to look into the face of another dying human and ask permission to enter into his kingdom? Remember Jesus was not just dying; he was also bloodied and beaten. He was clearly as human as the thief. Nevertheless, the thief sees Jesus as a king. It is difficult to fathom what could have caused this epiphany.
Difficult that is until one looks at Luke 23:34 where Jesus says, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing?” Luke points out that Jesus said this several verses before he speaks with the thief about his future reservations. I believe the thief saw something in the way Jesus forgave his executioners that caused him to see the metaphysical scenario as it is actually being played out. The thief sees Jesus asking God to forgive everyone standing below him from the Roman soldiers who were casting lots for his clothing, to the Jewish priest who wanted him executed. At that point the thief concluded Jesus must be from another part of town. How many people do you know would ask God to forgive the very people who are killing them? I’ll save you the trouble of thinking about it; the answer is not very many.
So, from this one statement of Jesus asking God to forgive his tormentors comes a man who’s faith far exceeds that of all the others prior to him. God appeared to Abraham and Moses and it was God’s direct leading that caused all the prophets to say what they said. Yet this thief becomes a man of great faith by merely witnessing Jesus forgive his enemies. Is it any wonder why the Lord’s Prayer includes “Forgive us of our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us?” Matthew 6:12. Is it any wonder indeed?
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