Midweek Lenten Worship March 20, 2024
“That Day, and Today” Luke 23:26-43
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
Evil is often louder than good. The lead story on the news is often sensational, it grips your heart and it grabs your eyes. I think I’ve heard it said, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Evil is often louder than good.
Just look at your life and I bet you’ll agree that evil is louder than good. Criticism, negative comments, tend to be more powerful – louder – to us than compliments or positive comments. What sticks with us is the complaint or the criticism or the insult. “We were counting on you, and you let us down.” “How can you be so dumb?” “You look awful – who dressed you?” “You’re fat.” Sometimes harsh words stay with us for a lifetime.
You’ve been here many of these Wednesdays when we have accented our theme, “You meant it for evil but God meant it for good.” There was a bunch of evil, stuff that sticks with a person, in the account of the last few days of the life of Jesus. Our reading tells us that “the rulers”, the members of the Sanhedrin, those who had louder voices than others, scoffed at Jesus. We should probably read that phrase as, “they kept on scoffing.” Loud and long. Tiresome.
Then the soldiers joined with the mob. “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” (Luke 23:37) Can’t you just hear their laughter and derision? I hate it but I must say evil is louder than good.
And then such cruelty came from someone who should have known better. The thief on the left of Jesus was just as cruel. He had committed a crime that Rome felt deserved death. There was no rehabilitation for that guy, but this is what we read about this, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us.’” (Luke 23:39) Jesus had no dignity left. He had been stripped of His clothing. He had been insulted by most of them who came to watch this brutality. And it even came from this guy.
BUT… I hope you have had someone who has lifted your bowed head and your sagging shoulders after everyone has taken their shots at you. I hope you had someone who came to your side as a friend in your darkest day. You see, there is another voice in this account on Good Friday. The other thief, the other man also crucified that day, has a word that needed to be spoken. “But the other criminal rebuked him. Don’t you fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’” (Luke 23:40-41)
That man offered a voice that was stronger than evil and hatred and lies. He spoke the truth. He didn’t cover up his own guilt. He made a bold confession. He was being treated in that awful way as a result of the awful things that he did. The thief on the right told the thief on his left that he should shut up!!
What an “unlikely believer” this man was – this man who made an honest confession of his wrong choices. But that is what you get throughout the ministry of Jesus. You get a bunch of “unlikely believers” coming to bold confessions. I think of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) who was a long way from being a person of God’s kingdom. He was a “sinner” – a term that the righteous gave to the worst of their society. He had cheated people out of tax money and had lived a life of extravagance. But Jesus invited himself to that man’s house. After talking with Jesus, Zacchaeus became an “unlikely believer”. He promised to make things right with those he had cheated. Jesus said of him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:9-10)
After speaking honestly to the man on the left of Jesus, the thief on the right speaks to Jesus. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) He asks for mercy. He asks for forgiveness. He asks for something great to happen to him. And he asks Jesus to give that to him. What I hear are those great words, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
Jesus, like He spoke to Zacchaeus about what was happening on that day, says to that man soon to be dead, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) “Today, salvation has come to this house.”
You thought that evil was louder than good. No. Good is louder than evil. Grace is greater than sin. Life will overcome death. Jesus destroys the devil, and all of his loud and bothersome lies. In John 1, with words about the brilliance and power of Jesus, John says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5, alternate translation, NIV)
It is truly apparent how God can take a situation that man devised and planned and plotted and turn it all around. In the book of Genesis the story of Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, is an account of God’s hand bringing light into a hopeless situation. The majority of Joseph’s brothers hated him and planned to kill their own brother. The murder of Joseph didn’t occur, but they did sell him to enemies who would undoubtedly plan to harm him. But God saved him and brought him to a position of overseeing the food supply during a famine in Egypt. His brothers came to Egypt in search of food – and finally found out that the brother they hated was still alive and he could help them. They also feared he would kill them in retaliation for their actions.
But Joseph had a stronger word than vengeance and hatred. His greater word, his lasting word was, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)
To a bunch of unlikely believers, including you and me, Jesus changes the outcome of our lives. He has a stronger word, a better word, a word of life. Treasure that word every day. Treasure His words to you, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Amen!!
(I am indebted to Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs for his work in the sermon series he penned titled, “You Meant It For Evil, But God Meant It For Good”. That series formed a basis for this sermon.)
