dadof10
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- Nov 5, 2006
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There have been many theories about the "Good Thief" and when he repented. I've heard that he was possibly a follower who fell away, or that he heard about Jesus in jail and came to believe either then or on the way to his death.
Following is a good (and short) article that gives Biblical proof that the Thief repented while ON the cross, and as the last sentence says "What beautiful humility St. Dismus displayed, and what astounding mercy Jesus gave." Here is the whole article. Happy Easter, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
"The good thief, as he is commonly called, is an unnamed character mentioned in the gospel of Luke who was crucified alongside Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him in his Kingdom. He is traditionally referred to as “St. Dismasâ€.Though he has never been formally canonized by the Church, he is believed to be a saint by virtue of Christ’s words, ““Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.â€
His feast day is March 25th.
When we cross-reference the account of the crucifixion in the gospels we can infer something very interesting about St. Dismas; namely that while on the cross he too abused Jesus with the other criminal and the crowd before repenting and asking to be saved.
Let’s take a look at the Scriptures.
Two Robbers
All four gospels tell of two criminals who were crucified alongside of to Christ:
Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. - Matthew 27:38
And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.†- Mark 15:27
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. . . .there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. - Luke 23:32-33
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. – John 19:32-33
Reviling Jesus
Two of the gospels accounts recount Jesus being abused by the two criminals:
[T]hose who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.â€
So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, â€He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. – Matthew 27:39-44
Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. - Mark 15:32
The Thief Becomes The “Good Thiefâ€
So far we have seen that there were two criminals crucified on either side of Christ and that at one point both were abusing. It is in Luke’s gospel that we see one of the thieves rebuke the other and request to be saved.
One of the criminals who was 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. - Luke 23 39:43
From this we can conclude that at some point after St. Dismas “reviled him,†and before he asked Jesus to remember him in his Kingdom, he repented. What beautiful humility St. Dismas displayed, and what astounding mercy Jesus gave.
http://www.catholic.com/blog/matt-fradd/the-good-thief-mocked-christ
Following is a good (and short) article that gives Biblical proof that the Thief repented while ON the cross, and as the last sentence says "What beautiful humility St. Dismus displayed, and what astounding mercy Jesus gave." Here is the whole article. Happy Easter, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
"The good thief, as he is commonly called, is an unnamed character mentioned in the gospel of Luke who was crucified alongside Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him in his Kingdom. He is traditionally referred to as “St. Dismasâ€.Though he has never been formally canonized by the Church, he is believed to be a saint by virtue of Christ’s words, ““Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.â€
His feast day is March 25th.
When we cross-reference the account of the crucifixion in the gospels we can infer something very interesting about St. Dismas; namely that while on the cross he too abused Jesus with the other criminal and the crowd before repenting and asking to be saved.
Let’s take a look at the Scriptures.
Two Robbers
All four gospels tell of two criminals who were crucified alongside of to Christ:
Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. - Matthew 27:38
And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.†- Mark 15:27
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. . . .there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. - Luke 23:32-33
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. – John 19:32-33
Reviling Jesus
Two of the gospels accounts recount Jesus being abused by the two criminals:
[T]hose who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.â€
So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, â€He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. – Matthew 27:39-44
Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. - Mark 15:32
The Thief Becomes The “Good Thiefâ€
So far we have seen that there were two criminals crucified on either side of Christ and that at one point both were abusing. It is in Luke’s gospel that we see one of the thieves rebuke the other and request to be saved.
One of the criminals who was 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. - Luke 23 39:43
From this we can conclude that at some point after St. Dismas “reviled him,†and before he asked Jesus to remember him in his Kingdom, he repented. What beautiful humility St. Dismas displayed, and what astounding mercy Jesus gave.
http://www.catholic.com/blog/matt-fradd/the-good-thief-mocked-christ
