CLOSE IS NOT ENOUGH

“Are you not the Christ?” the bleeding thief blurted out bitterly.. “Save yourself and us.” For nearly three hours he had been hanging by his hands nailed into this cross. Next to him was another One on another cross. Evidently He had persuaded some that He was the Jewish Messiah because a lot of important folks had come out to watch Him. They mocked Him, calling Him the King of Israel.

He was good at sarcasm so he joined in. At first this was a brief diversion from his own pain and agony. He easily picked up the tune that this One should save Himself and come down from the cross if he really was the Son of God. It was a struggle just to breath so he quickly tired of talking.

When we look at the thief who did not repent, we notice he was close to Life. But close is not enough. He didn’t think on his own. He simply repeated with others had said within earshot. His words reflected the attitude of the crowd. Crowds do that to people all the time. Do you think for yourself?

When he cried out, “Save Yourself and us” he was not listening to God. But this issue had already been settled in Gethsemane, when Jesus declared, “Not My will but Thine be done.” Jesus had not come to save Himself. He came to save us. The thief could have been saved if he had merely listened to Jesus instead of railing against Him. Of course, he would have been saved spiritually, not physically. The thief was doing what we all often do, listen to the wrong voices and think only of the physical. Thereby we miss the purpose of God.