The Persecutor Preachers

I have a feeling this title sounds a tad confusing. Bear with me a moment while I attempt to explain to you what I had in my head when I came up with it. Hopefully then, it starts to make a bit of sense and you’ll see the picture I see. Hopefully.

It’s Easter time again and I was in Church for Easter Sunday service and there was one thing  that jumped out at me this year that I’ve probably never ever thought of or considered the uncountable times I’ve read or been preached to about the crucifixion.

When Jesus was crucified, two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the left and one on the right (Matt 27:38, Mark 15:27, Luke 23:33, John 19:18). As Jesus hung on the cross, the crowd hurled insults at Him, including the thieves that were crucified with Him (Matt 27:44, Mark 15:32). However, Luke’s account adds a little more detail. In Luke 23:39-42, we see that there seems to have been a shift of some sort. One thief goes “Oga, how far nah? If you’re really this amazing guy who’s supposed to be the Messiah and all, do your thing biko and get us out of here.” The second thief on the other hand rebuked the first (vs 40-41). Now, I have no idea how much time had elapsed between their being strung up on their crosses and this particular bit of conversation. I don’t have all the details of everything that might have transpired between this thief’s joining his partner and the crowd in insulting and mocking Jesus, and his suddenly defending Jesus to his partner and then taking what is probably one of the biggest leaps of faith ever, and asking Jesus to remember him (vs 42). Was it minutes? Hours? What did he see or hear that changed his entire perspective? Was it the stark realization of his dire situation, like omo, na kpai I go kpai today oh! Was it a last moment of terror or was it resignation at his fate? Or  was it that his cross was at an angle to Jesus’ and he saw the inscription ‘King of the Jews’ and had an Eureka moment that wow, I’m dying right beside royalty! (If the guy had been Nigerian, he would probably have been pissed he couldn’t get a selfie with the celeb beside him!) Maybe it was hearing Jesus forgive the ones who had wrongfully nailed Him to a cross that did it for him, like Say what? How can you even forgive the people who put you in such excruciating pain? Or maybe the guy heard all the insults hurled at Jesus and all the mockery coming His way and he was blown away by the tidbits of info:

He saved others, let Him save Himself if He’s truly the Christ…He trusted in God, let God deliver Him now…He healed so many others, why can’t He heal His own wounds now…He claimed He would destroy the temple and build it in three days…the insurgent claimed to be the Bread of Life, imagine…He called Himself God, greater than even Abraham…He had the audacity to forgive sins, the nerve of the man….He claimed live-giving waters flowed from Him…He said anyone who believed in Him would have eternal life, now He’s dying like a common criminal! Oh the irony…

The crowd of mockers must have rehashed the many sermons and parables and sayings of Jesus over and over, having a good laugh at Jesus’ expense, throwing His words in His face, literally rubbing salt to injury. But in all of that, maybe, just maybe, that thief heard the words that changed his life. Maybe hearing about Jesus’ life-changing miracles, His audacious claims, His words on the cross, shifted something inside of him and he came to realize what the mocking crowd had missed. And in that moment when his eyes were opened (I guess he did have an Eureka moment after all) and he cried “Lord remember me when You come in Your kingdom”, the unbelieving crowd (which ironically included the Pharisees, scribes, chief priests and elders, who were Jesus’ greatest persecutors) had inadvertently become very effective propagators of His gospel. They had indirectly preached the word (preach it preacher!) with outstanding results!

So, hope you now understand the title? If you still don’t, remember that I tend to get a little crazy inspired sometimes and even I don’t always understand how my mind works! Hopefully though, you got the gist of the story ;)