What I've Never Realized About the Faith of the Repentant Thief

A reflection on the seven last words of Jesus

Today, I’ve had a deeper realization about the faith of the repentant thief. While I have read the related Bible verses many times before, I have never fully realized the depths of faith he exercised in the last moments of his life.

My previous understanding of the story was that his faith was commendable because he chose to believe in Jesus at that last hour. He chose to believe that he can still be forgiven, that Jesus was merciful enough to accept his repentance.

Now I have realized that it was not only about believing in God’s mercy. It’s not only about believing that God would accept your sincere repentance.

What’s so difficult in the story was how we could still believe despite the agonies of the cross!

It is true that Jesus was still Jesus even then. But remember that at that time, Jesus was also suffering in excruciating pain. Jesus must have been fighting for His every breath with every fiber of his physical body aching.

What do you do when the One you’re praying to is Someone who is also suffering at the cross like you? Someone who is also dying in unbearable pain? When God doesn’t look like God, and when a King appears to be less than a slave, how could you even start to believe?

That’s when God’s grace enters in, a grace that opens the eyes of our spirit so we could see. To see Jesus not just as Someone who can come down from the cross to show everyone how powerful He is, but as Someone who is truly beautiful from within. Someone who, despite every punishment He went through could still ask that His tormentors be forgiven. Someone who could bear to be silent despite having every right to cry out for all the injustice that’s been done to Him.

Even the disciples of Jesus ran away in fear and confusion, not knowing what to do. For how could Jesus who raised even the dead not save Himself from the cross?

During that most painful moment, the repentant thief believed with a faith that could see beyond one’s earthly suffering. He believed with a faith that can look forward to another kingdom and another life. Such is the faith that can open even the doors of heaven.

“Amidst the clamor of the raving crowd and the dismal universal hiss of sin, in all that delirium of man’s revolt against God, no voice was lifted in praise and recognition except the voice of a man condemned…at that moment when death was upon Him, when defeat stared Him in the face, the only one outside the Small group at the foot of the Cross to acknowledge Him as Lord of a Kingdom, as the Captain of Souls, was a thief at the right hand of Christ.” — Fulton Sheen, The Seven Last Words

“Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” — Luke 23:43, WEB

Prayer

Lord, when everything in this earthly life grows painful and dim, let me still believe You’re there. Even when You are silent and you seem to do nothing to take away the pain, let me still believe in Your love. Like the repentant thief, let me be content to be beside You. Let my heart be glad that I am not alone. In your great compassion, You chose to suffer with me. You chose to be crucified to save me. You are my Lord, and in You I entrust everything.