Luke 23:41Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Witness the extraordinary confession made on the cross. Do you see how his words cleansed him of his iniquities? He fulfilled the prophetic call, "Let us stand in judgment; speak, that you may be justified" (Isaiah 43:26). No one compelled him, no one accused him; he became his own accuser, thus leaving no one else to accuse him afterwards. He anticipated the role of the accuser, inscribing his own name on the pillar of shame, stating, "And we are justly condemned, for we have received the due reward for our deeds." Observe his profound humility! In this moment of self-accusation, revealing his actions, and justifying the Righteous One by saying, "And we are justly condemned... and He has done nothing wrong," he was bold enough to ask, "Remember me, O Lord, when you enter Your kingdom!" (Luke 23:42).

Tell me, robber, why did you not confess so openly before Pilate? Why, after enduring so much torment, did you not admit to your wrongs? Human judgment is not the same as Divine judgment. Previously, I attempted to hide my actions, as man cannot see the heart; but now I reveal them, for all hearts are bare before Him. Why didn’t you confess before Pilate? Because there confession would lead to punishment, while here confession leads to salvation. "We shall be judged; speak, that you may be justified" (Isaiah 43:26).

The Saviour, positioned between the two robbers, served as a measure of truth, weighing faith against disbelief, truth against falsehood. The judgment began, and behold, one robber, burdened by disbelief, sank down, while the other, uplifted by faith, rose high. "And we are justly condemned, for we have suffered according to our deeds, and He has committed no wrong."

Injustice reigns here; the righteous suffer alongside the unrighteous, virtue is punished alongside vice. "And we are justly condemned, for we have taken the due reward for our actions, and He has done no evil." We have committed murders and taken life, while He raised the dead and conquered death; we have stolen from others, while He teaches us to be generous; we have harmed the innocent, while He commands us to love even our adversaries. This judgment lacks fairness. Are His works deserving of punishment while ours merit forgiveness? Let us judge rightly! Let wickedness be punished and truth honored.

All this transpired because of the malice of the Jews, yet simultaneously, the prophecy was fulfilled, which declared of the Messiah: "and He was numbered with the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12; Mark 15:28). Thus was the blessed robber guided, and thus he encouraged those around him, admonishing his companion.

The uncircumcised one acknowledged Christ as the King of the Jews, not as his own king, while the Jewish people accepted Caesar as their ruler, the sovereign of foreign nations. Those who clung to a temporal reign ceased to exist with its end, yet those who confessed the True King were welcomed into a paradise of solace. Caesar, whom they embraced as their monarch, led to the destruction of their city, but the Gentiles who recognized the Lord's kingdom gained the resurrection and eternal life. "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." The Lord refrained from descending from the Cross at this man's request; He chose instead to honor the one on His right who believed in the Crucified. Miracles could easily convert many to follow Him, yet something far more profound occurred: it was the truth of Christ that moved even the scoffer to reverence Him. Thus, the apostle declared, "the weakness of God is stronger than men" (cf. 1 Cor. 1:25). Through the weakness of the Cross, the Lord subdued the nations. Extend your strength toward the Cross, so that the strength of the Crucified One may be extended to you. For anyone who does not reach out to His Cross will similarly not partake in His feast; those who were invited by the hungry yet came to Him already filled shall be barred from sharing His meal. Do not let yourself become filled, and do not approach the Son’s banquet in this manner, lest He command you to leave the table unsatisfied. "Remember me, O Lord, in Your kingdom." With the eyes of faith, he perceived the honor of the Lord in a place of disgrace, witnessing glory where there was once humiliation. He pleaded, "Remember me," for he had not forgotten of Your kingdom and splendor, which will ultimately be revealed at the end of time and is still not fully unveiled.

Christ’s rapid forgiveness toward the thief stems from the immediacy of his conversion. This sheds light on the apparent discrepancy between the accounts of Matthew and Mark, who describe two revilers, whereas Luke narrates one reviler and one supplicant. It is possible that both began as revilers, but one experienced a quick transformation. It is not surprising that the one who insulted Him was forgiven at once by the One who showed mercy towards those who mocked Him. We might also consider that the evangelists chose the plural form instead of the singular. For instance, it is stated, "The kings of the earth rose up, and the rulers conspired together" (Ps. 2:2). Nonetheless, in Peter's account in the Acts of the Apostles, he refers specifically to King Herod and Governor Pilate conspiring against Christ (cf. Acts 4:27).

Similar usage appears in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which mentions individuals who wandered in goat skins, were sawed in two, and subdued the mouths of lions (Hebrews 11:37, 33). Yet, it is known that only Elijah donned goat skins, only Isaiah met a gruesome fate, and only Daniel emerged unharmed from the lions (cf. 2 Kings 1:8; Dan. 6:16-23).

The sin of the Jews in crucifying the Redeemer, alongside common criminals, is indeed grievous. In a profound sense, Christ embodies the Wise Robber, outsmarting the devil to disarm him. The two robbers symbolically represent two sinful nations that would be spiritually crucified with Christ through baptism. Their differences reflect the diversity among believers: one positioned at the right hand, the other at the left. The mocking nature of their speech foreshadows future temptations surrounding the Cross, even among the faithful (cf. Galatians 5:11).

“But He did nothing wrong,” the penitent says of Jesus Christ, whom others have slandered. How did the crucified criminal discern the innocence of Jesus? The one who now critically judged and condemned himself found enlightenment in various aspects concerning Jesus. He reflected: Jesus Christ faces condemnation, but by whom? By men who are prone to error. I have heard that Pilate found no guilt in Him. And yet people declare: He saved others, Son of God, King of the Jews. What do I know about Him personally? Both prior to my arrest and after I was imprisoned, I learned many admirable things about Him; I heard of His teachings, His holy life, His deeds of kindness toward all, His healings of the ill, His comfort to the grieving, and His wondrous miracles. Now, He intercedes for His adversaries! He endures in silence the curses, mockery, and slander directed at Him. If even an angel from heaven were to endure what He faces, would it remain as humble and unruffled as He? What does this veil of horror signify? Is it a testament to the truth upheld by the Sanhedrin, which vehemently opposed Him?

How can this be, O Jesus? The cherubim wielding fiery swords guard Paradise, denying entry, yet You pledge to grant access to a thief! Indeed, I am the Sovereign of the Cherubim, and even Hell and its flames heed My command. Yet what ruler would enter his city accompanied by a criminal, or allow such a person to ride beside him in a royal procession? Nonetheless, this is precisely how our exalted King operates. When He enters His realm, He takes with Him a man who, though once a transgressor, is now transformed in such a way that his presence does not tarnish the sacred space, but enhances its glory; for the splendor of Heaven lies precisely in its powerful and benevolent King, who can enable even the most sinful to partake in the pure joys of paradise.

Thus, during His ministry, He called tax collectors and sinners to His divine banquet, illustrating His ability to heal and sanctify them, making them worthy of the highest honors and rewards—like a physician whose skill shines brightest in treating ailments deemed unhealable. But what remarkable act did this thief perform to receive such attention from the Savior and transition so swiftly from the cross to the joys of paradise? One simple answer illuminates this mystery, this unparalleled miracle of grace: humble confession! The thief acknowledges his guilt and deserving of death, while simultaneously proclaiming the innocence and divinity of the Supreme King, who was unjustly condemned by the ignorance of the crowd: “We are condemned righteously, for we have received what is worthy according to our deeds; and He hath done nothing amiss.”

Through this confession, all legal obligations are fulfilled, for as the prophet states, forgiveness of sins is promised to those who admit their iniquities: “Thou shalt speak thy iniquities before, that thou mayest be justified” (Isaiah 43:26). It is not just one sin, but his entire life that bears witness against this great confessor; and only after he genuinely acknowledges his transgressions and boldly expresses his faith in Jesus Christ does he dare to beseech Him: “Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” Learn from this remarkable outcome of confession; do not despair in your own struggles; consider the boundless mercy of our God and strive for a righteous transformation of your lives.

In their attempt to appease the crowd and the authorities, they offered Him vinegar, challenging Him with the words, ‘If Thou art the King of the Jews, save Thyself.’ Concerning the inscription above Jesus’ head, Luke details that it was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. He uniquely records that of the two criminals crucified alongside Christ, one mocked Him, while the other defended Him, turning to Jesus with a request that demonstrated profound faith in Him as the Messiah and Sovereign who would establish His kingdom. This prompted the Lord to respond, ‘Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.’

The sight of Jesus on the cross did not lead him to waver in his faith; he still held the conviction that Christ, in His dying moments, was indeed the King of Israel who would eventually restore His reign. Influenced by this belief, the criminal experienced a moment of repentance; he openly acknowledged his deserving of crucifixion, did not complain about his sentence, nor did he plead for deliverance, but humbly requested that the Lord remember him when He entered His kingdom. "Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom." When the centurion from Capernaum expressed his faith that Jesus could heal his servant with just a word, Jesus, addressing the crowd, remarked, "I say to you, I have not found such faith in Israel" (Luke 7:9). Now, recognizing the criminal's unwavering faith despite the Cross, He might have thought, "I have not found such faith among My disciples!" Thus, He assured the repentant thief, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise." The term paradise, derived from a Persian root, signifies a garden. In warmer climates, a shaded garden provided a restful refuge, which is why the abode of the righteous in the afterlife was often likened to a garden or paradise. The afterlife realm for deceased Jews, known as Sheol, was divided into two sections: one referred to as paradise or Abraham's bosom for the righteous, while the other, designated for sinners, was termed hell. In forgiving the repentant thief, Christ indicated that today, on the very day of his death, his soul—purified through faith—would be joined with the righteous. To facilitate this understanding, Christ referred to paradise as the destination for his soul that day. The evangelist Luke documents that one thief mocked Jesus, while the other defended Him. In contrast, the accounts in Matthew and Mark mention that those crucified with Jesus reviled Him (Mark 15:32). This apparent inconsistency can be reconciled; undoubtedly, the repentant thief could not both mock and affirm his faith simultaneously. It is clear that one robber did mock, but only Luke narrates how one robber calmed the other, turned toward Christ, and received a response. Matthew and Mark do not cover this exchange, but when listing all those who mocked Jesus, they include the robbers, likely without concern for distinguishing between them. They mention that those who derided Jesus included passers-by (Matthew 27:39), the chief priests, scribes, elders, and Pharisees (Matthew 27:41), and the soldiers (Luke 23:36). Therefore, they could not overlook the taunts of one of the robbers, which is why they describe it in the plural—indicating that both robbers were reviling Him.

Gazing upon the infinitely gentle and forgiving countenance of the Crucified, the best parts of his heart awakened, leading him to beseech Jesus with sincere compassion: ‘Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’ In response to this earnest plea from the penitent thief, the previously silent Christ replied without delay: “Truly I say unto thee, now shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.”