The Bad Guy
One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This is the opening of the Charles Dickens book A Tale of Two Cities. As I read, its meaning is a bit more profound than when I read the book as a 7th grade student. The phrase speaks to the many conflicts we have within ourselves. Good and evil. Light and darkness. Hope and despair. No matter what view we might take from this, we can point to various points in our lives where what might be a great time for us might be a sad place for others. One of the things I appreciate about my wife is that she is very grounded not to let the good times and bad affect us as a family because when it is bad for me, it’s really bad.
Our lives are filled with conflict. Paul said it best pointing out, “So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.” (Romans 7:14). We often see ourselves as the good wanting to follow God’s law and doing those things that build a greater spiritual connection with God. Yet, we often find ourselves to be ‘all too human, a slave to sin,’ and as such, we fall down. Sometimes, it is a minor slip, and others, it is either major or often repeated. I think of the movie Scarface (FYI – The Godfather is my favorite movie all time … don’t @ me 😊), and I see the main character, Tony Montana, in one of those ‘best of times, worst of times’ moments. He had amassed great wealth and power but realized he was unhappy because he lacked love. He made this unhinged but actually profound monologue. Talking to his audience and their view of him, he said:
That's the bad guy." So... what that make you? Good? You're not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me? I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie. So say good night to the bad guy!
While he clearly was a bad guy in the movie, it made me wonder. Are we all ‘the bad guy?’
Our spiritual journey requires us to be honest with our own flaws so that God can work within us. In reading today’s verses, I found myself focusing on the goodness of God even when we are flawed. I love to compare myself to the criminal who professed his sin and knew who Jesus was. I even wrote a devotion years ago about him (Jesus’ Right Hand Man). But it would be unwise for us to dismiss the other criminal. He was the one joking about Jesus being the Messiah and requiring proof by saving the three of them. While I clearly dismissed this criminal, it is worthwhile to look at ourselves and evaluate if there are aspects of our lives that parallel his. Are there areas of my life where I clearly go against God because it feels right? Am I hypocritical when the mood suits my personal interest? Do I do things simply because I believe I have God’s grace? My goal in bringing this up is not to say anyone is ‘that person.’ The goal is to remind all of us to take a minute to pause and reflect if there is something going on that maybe we have ignored which in God’s eyes might make us ‘criminal.’ Have I become immune to a sin that I need to become sensitive to and bring to God? Do I read God’s word to better understand His expectations? All of these are valid questions we should both ask ourselves and rely on God’s wisdom to guide us. Not our own.
God is so merciful! That is great for us to know. It is not for us to habitually excuse our poorer behavior. Heather Riggleman, a Christian blogger, made a great point the other day saying, “Jesus did say, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.”(Luke 12:48b) The more we know about God the more we are responsible to God.” We must have a repentant heart. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” Let us remember all of us fall short of God’s Glory, and take steps to be more repentant and aware of our sins. What unhealthy habits can you take to God today? What situation can you either go to God prayerfully or read more to have greater awareness of sin’s presence? My prayer is we take lessons from both criminals to know that in reality, we too are ‘the bad guy.’ Amen.