But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation?
Read Chapter 23
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
But the other (who is said to have hung on the right side) answering rebuked him. The Syriac says, "Dost thou not fear, no, not even from God" (etiam, non, a Deo, non tirmes tu)?—that Isaiah , the scribes and Jews are well and strong and do not fear God, and therefore scoff at Christ; but thou, who art tormented on the cross, oughtest to fear Him, lest He punish thee severely, for blaspheming His Christ so sacrilegiously. This robber showed that he not only feared God himself, for "the beginning of wisdom" (and salvation) "is the fear of the Lord" (Ecclus. i16), but he also exhorted his companion to the same fear. That Isaiah , Let the Jews mock at Christ; we ought to fear God, because we are in the same condemnation—the punishment of the cross, to which we are justly condemned. But Christ, who was innocent was so condemned unjustly. Again, we should rather compassionate a companion in punishment, especially if innocent, than reproach him; because we ought to prepare ourselves for deat...
“This man,” he says, “has done nothing that is hateful.” O how beautiful is this confession! How wise the reasoning and how excellent the thoughts! He became the confessor of the Savior’s glory and the accuser of the pride of those who crucified him….Let us look at his most beautiful confession of faith. He says, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” You see him crucified and call him a king. You expect the One who bears scorn and suffering to come in godlike glory. You see him surrounded by a Jewish crowd, the wicked gang of the Pharisees, and Pilate’s band of soldiers. All of these were mocking him, and no one confessed him. Commentary on Luke, Homily
One robber said, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us with you!” The Lord however did not take him down from the cross as he asked, in order to exalt the other robber on the right of the cross and who was believing in the crucified Savior. It would have been easy for him to use a miracle to conquer anyone as a disciple. He produced a more powerful miracle when he forced the scoffer of truth to adore him. That is why the apostle said, “That which is the weakness of God is stronger than human beings.” He submitted all peoples to the weakness of the cross.Stretch out your arms toward the cross, so that the crucified Lord may stretch out his arms toward you. The one who does not stretch out his hand toward the cross cannot approach his table either. He will deprive of his table the guests who should have come to him hungry but instead came full. Do not fill yourself before going to the table of the Son. He might then make you leave the table while you are still hungry. Commentary...
Although he sees his gaping wounds and observes his blood pouring forth, he believes him to be God whom he does not recognize as guilty. He acknowledges him to be righteous whom he does not think of as a sinner. He says to that other complaining thief, “We certainly are receiving what is due our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” He understood that Christ received these blows because of others’ sins. He sustained these wounds because of others’ crimes. The thief knew that the wounds on the body of Christ were not Christ’s wounds but the thief’s; therefore, after he recognized his own wounds on Christ’s body, he began to love all the more.
The suffering of the cross was a stumbling block to many, as the apostle says. “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block indeed to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.”The penitent thief considered the cross of Christ not to be a stumbling block but power rightly merits paradise. The same apostle says, “To those Jews who have been called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” The Lord also correctly gives paradise to him, because on the gibbet of the cross the thief confesses the one whom Judas Iscariot had sold in the garden. This is a remarkable thing. The thief confesses the one whom the disciple denied! This is a remarkable thing, I say. The thief honors the one who suffers, while Judas betrayed the one who kissed him! The one peddled flattering words of peace, and the other preached the wounds of the cross. He says, “Remember me, Lord, when you come in your kingdom.” –.
