Having been reared in a highly legalistic setting, I recall my father's being warned by a fellow minister as to the dangers of "preaching grace." Such, the self-appointed advisor insisted, would tend to induce "worldliness" in the lives of one's parishioners. It was, unfortunately, a view not totally unknown at the time in some related circles.
Despite my long since departed father's own tendencies at times toward a legalistic defining of "spiritual" values, his displeasure at this point was nonetheless - and rightfully so - considerable. Thankfully, those days are largely past in the denomination to which he then belonged. Simply put: If anything at all applies in the realm of the spiritual, it is that we are all totally dependent on the unmerited favor of God.
This all came to mind when earlier reflecting on the penitent thief crucified concurrent to Christ's own death at Golgotha. We have sometimes missed a significant point here. The felon's request to be remembered when Christ became king defies logic on all fronts in that dying men do not represent viable candidates for political or imperial rule - particularly when in the final throes of execution. One does not address an individual on the gallows, for example, with the request for recognition and acceptance upon his becoming President.
To the Twelve, Jesus' death brought down the curtain on his "career" and their anticipation of shared messianic reign; hence, for example, Peter's return to previous vocational interests (John 21:3). Reflecting the overall sense of lost cause attendant those having followed Christ, Cleopas, upon leaving Jerusalem with a fellow believer, observed, "We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21).
Why then, when completely lost to the perception of both Disciples and believing community at large, should a man of criminal character thus sense that Christ's execution constituted neither conclusion to his proclaimed role nor negation of his promised reign? Scripture offers few greater examples of the principle involved - that same outworking of purpose whereby we ourselves have come to know the hope of eternal life and reality: Divine revelation derivative divine grace. For we too have been "saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves" (Eph. 2:8-9).
There is no other answer nor, apart from such, meaningful message of faith.
Burl Ratzsch
