A Smart Criminal and His Dumb Friend

A man in Pennsylvania was given 24 years imprisonment for armed robbery. He and an accomplice had not worn masks when they held up a bank. Instead, they had rubbed lemon juice on their faces in the belief it would blur their images on the security camera.

A hopeful criminal in Swansea, Massachusetts, fainted when the bank teller told him she had no money. He was still unconscious when the police arrived. His getaway car, parked nearby, had the keys locked inside.

Henry Smith was arrested moments after returning home with a stolen stereo. His error was having tattooed on his forehead in large capital letters the words "Henry Smith".

We sometimes hear stories about dumb criminals and the things they have done, and that often makes us chuckle. In the Easter Account, we hear about a smart criminal, and his dumb friend. What the smart criminal did made a Huge difference. He did the brightest and best thing that he could do, not only for this life, but also for the life to come. You can read about that in Luke 23:32-43.

Even as Jesus cried out words of forgiveness from the cross, people were laughing, mocking, gambling, and acting as though nothing of any importance was taking place. Two other gospels tell us that two criminals, crucified on either side of Jesus, heaped insults on the Lord along with many that were gathered in the crowd.

What was their Reality? These two guys were not petty thieves. These robbers were rotten guys. There was a reason that these two guys were on crosses. There was an admission that they were punished justly and getting what their deeds deserved, but Jesus had done nothing wrong.

What was their Response? They both had equal access to the Savior. One of the criminals, up until the time of his death, continued to ridicule & reject the Lord. The other criminal had a change of heart.

One robber wanted rescue from the cross. Save yourself and us. Get me down from here. Someone might say that it was the pain speaking. He was carrying on in selfishness. He cared nothing for the Savior. He was like many people today, who may only want Jesus to take away life’s suffering or sin’s consequences.

The smart criminal was repentant. He wanted help with his greatest need and a future with Jesus. He acknowledged his sin. He put his faith in the Lord Jesus and believed that there is life after death. He boldly professed his faith even in the face of a hostile crowd, taunts and jeers. He exercised astounding faith. To most people Christ on the cross wouldn’t have looked like He would be able to save anybody.

What was the Result? For the robber that railed at Jesus and rejected Him, it was but a start to an eternity apart from Christ. His suffering was but a start to the suffering that would be his forever. Christ’s shed blood did him no good. He refused to turn to the One who could save him from more than the consequence of his sin.

The robber who asked to be remembered by Jesus when He came into His Kingdom was granted reconciliation with God, and life in heaven. The thief who asked Christ for salvation received it. All he had to do was cry out to Jesus and he was snatched from the brink of hell. It was almost too late, but he made the right call. He was almost lumped in as a dumb criminal, but near his last seconds, the Spirit of God made him smart towards salvation. What might have looked and sounded like foolishness, proved to be his pardon, and a promotion to paradise.

What does the smart criminal teach us? Salvation is independent of good works. He was saved without formal sacraments, and apart from deserving deeds. They aren’t enough to make us right with God. For the one who has put their trust in Jesus Christ to save them, to depart from this life, is to be present with the Lord. He wasn’t saved because of his suffering in this life. Only the sufferings of Christ are an adequate payment for our sins.

Salvation is not universal – not everyone will be saved. Jesus told only one of the two men that hung on the crosses with Him, that he would be with Him. The other man sadly would not – he would have an altogether different fate for eternity.

Even “great” sinners can have their sins forgiven, and can receive eternal life with God in heaven. Each of us needs to do as the smart criminal did, and place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The eternally wise thing is in faith, to call out to Jesus, and to help others do the same.

Let me encourage you to celebrate with us, the Resurrected and Living Savior, on Easter Sunday morning.