The Gospel of Luke (Lk 23:35-43) presents us with a disconcerting scene: Jesus, King of the Universe, is crucified, surrounded by mockery, insults, and misunderstanding. This is how the liturgy presents the Lord on this last Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C: not on a golden throne, but on a cross, among evildoers, and seemingly defeated.
In this text, we will walk through the seven points proposed in our Sunday podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MPgevecyqEA : the characters, their attitudes, the way they speak, what they ask for, who Jesus is to each one, the inscription on the cross, and finally, the solemn word addressed to the good thief. At each step, the question is simple and demanding: where am I in this scene and how do I position myself before Jesus the King?
- The characters of the Gospel
The first step in meditation is to look at the scene and recognize who is there. In this passage from the Gospel we find the following:
- Jesus, the Crucified One, at the center of everything, silent;
- The chiefs, representatives of religious authority;
- The soldiers, representatives of political and military power;
- The bad thief, who insults Jesus;
- The good thief, who defends Jesus and begs Him to let him participate in the Kingdom.
Luke ignores Mary, the beloved disciple, and the holy women, who appear in other accounts, because he wants the focus to be on Jesus and these figures surrounding the cross, their attitudes and words toward the crucified King.
In lectio divina, identifying the characters is not a technical detail, it is a spiritual exercise: I can, before each one, ask myself which one resembles me most today. When I read and meditate on the Word, it is not just “a story about others”; I am invited to enter the scene, to let myself be found by Jesus on that Calvary.
- The characters’ attitudes
After seeing who is there, we look at how they behave in the presence of Jesus.
The bosses They mock . They know the Law, they await the Messiah, but faced with the crucified Jesus they choose contempt. Mockery is a way of rejecting salvation while maintaining the appearance of religious security.
The soldiers They mock and offer vinegar. They are men accustomed to violence and execution. Faced with yet another condemned man, they make fun of him, offering something worthless, spoiled wine, a gesture that mixes false compassion with contempt.
The bad thief It is an insult . He is suffering like Jesus, sharing the cross, but even so, he prefers the cry of revolt and self-interest: if you are the Christ, save yourself and us. It is a distorted “prayer,” approaching Jesus not out of love, but out of calculation.
The good thief , on the other hand, adopts a completely different attitude: he acknowledges his own guilt, defends Jesus, proclaims his innocence and kingship by pleading: “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He does not ask Jesus to come down from the cross, but to take him with him.
The spiritual question is straightforward: is my attitude toward the crucified Jesus one of mockery, indifference, insult, self-serving defiance, or humble trust? The Gospel was not written merely to condemn those figures, but to illuminate my own reactions to the cross of Christ and the crosses of my own life.
- To whom and how are they addressed?
An important detail in the text is who each character is speaking to.
The bosses They talk amongst themselves about Jesus, but they don’t talk to Jesus. They comment, evaluate, and mock, but they don’t address Him directly. The focus isn’t God, it’s them. It’s a religion that revolves around the group itself, its own reasoning, its own security.
The soldiers They approach Jesus , but in a provocative tone: “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” They acknowledge a title, but do not adopt an attitude of supplication or adoration. They speak to Jesus, without letting Jesus speak to their hearts.
The bad thief also speaks directly to Jesus, but with the same spirit as the soldiers: “Save yourself and us.” There is even a plea, but without true faith, without acknowledging one’s own sin, without openness to conversion.
The good thief combines two approaches: first, he speaks to the other criminal, defending Jesus, then he turns to Jesus with a simple yet profound plea: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Here there is no longer irony, defiance, or calculation, but humility, faith, and trust.
This point is very concrete for prayer: do I spend more time talking about Jesus or talking with Jesus ? Do my religious discourses revolve around myself, my ideas, my image, or do they truly become a personal dialogue with the Lord?
- The object of what they say: salvation.
A common thread runs through the characters’ dialogues: they all, in some way, touch on the theme of salvation .
The leaders say, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” They acknowledge that Jesus “saved” others, they admit the reality of his miracles, but they use this in a mocking tone. They know the signs, but they do not allow themselves to be converted by them.
The soldiers repeat the same movement: “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Salvation here is understood as escaping the cross, as proof of power, as a spectacle.
The bad thief pleads: “Save yourself and us.” It’s almost a prayer, but it remains trapped in the logic of self-interest: if you have power, use it in my favor, without me needing to change my life or acknowledge the truth about myself.
The good thief implicitly speaks of salvation when he pronounces the name of Jesus (Yeshua, which means God saves), but on a completely different level. He states: “We are receiving what we deserve, but He has done nothing wrong.” And then he asks: “Jesus, remember me.” He doesn’t ask to be taken down from the cross, he doesn’t demand a visible miracle. He asks to be remembered in the Kingdom, thus recognizing that Jesus is King and that His Kingdom is not of this world.
True salvation is not escaping the cross, but uniting ourselves with Christ in his victory over death . The good thief doesn’t want a magic solution; he wants to be with Jesus. The question for us is: what salvation am I pursuing? Only immediate solutions, or communion with Christ, which passes through the cross?
- The person of Jesus: who He is for each one of us
How does each character recognize (or not recognize) the identity of Jesus?
The leaders call Jesus “Christ of God, the Chosen One.” The words are correct, the theology is accurate, but faith is lacking. They acknowledge the titles, but deny the Lord. Their mouths say “Christ,” but their hearts remain closed and far from Him.
The soldiers use the expression “King of the Jews.” For them, it’s merely a political category, a source of mockery, someone who considered himself king and ended up on the cross. They use the title, but empty it of meaning.
The wicked thief also speaks of “Christ” (the Anointed One), but without truly adhering to his person. He is physically close, but spiritually distant.
The good thief , on the other hand, pronounces the Name of Jesus in a personal way: “Jesus (Yeshua), remember me.” He acknowledges that He has a Kingdom, confesses His kingship, and admits that the one crucified is, in fact, the King who will enter His reign. Here we have a true profession of faith, made at the limit of life, on the heights of the cross.
At the heart of the meditation is the question: For me, is Jesus merely a religious title, a beautiful idea, a correct discourse, or is He a living Person with whom I speak and in whom I trust?
- “This is the King of the Jews” (Luke 23:38)
At the top of the cross, above Jesus’ head, is the inscription: “This is the King of the Jews.” In other biblical texts we know that this inscription was in three languages, a sign that Christ’s kingship is proclaimed to all peoples. Pilate writes, the leaders protest, but the text remains.
The inscription is simultaneously human irony and a divine proclamation. Whoever ordered it written was not fully aware of what they were doing, stating a profound truth: The crucified one is a true King. On the cross, completely stripped bare, seemingly defeated, He exercises His kingship by saving a repentant sinner and opening the gates of Paradise for him.
For our prayer, the inscription is an invitation to look at the cross with faith: do I recognize the kingship of Jesus even when He appears weak in the eyes of the world, hidden, humiliated, without spectacular signs of power? Or can I only call Jesus King when everything is going well, when He does what I expect?
- “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43)
The final point, the focal point of this Gospel, is Jesus’ solemn words to the good thief: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus, who remained silent in the face of mockery, opens his mouth to respond to the humble plea of that condemned man who recognizes himself as a sinner and acknowledges Him as King.
This sentence reveals several truths at once:
- Jesus is King because He speaks of the Kingdom and of Paradise as a place where He Himself enters and where He can welcome others.
- Jesus is Savior because he not only comforts, but also guarantees entry into eternal life.
- Jesus is Lord of history and of time, because He says “today,” affirming an immediate communion with Him after death.
In this passage, the idea that death is merely a “sleep” without any connection to God falls apart. The Crucified One guarantees a real communion with Him for those who open themselves to grace, even in their final hour.
At the same time, it becomes clear that this is not a cheap automatic response, but a response to the thief’s movement of faith, repentance, and trust. He acknowledges his guilt, defends Jesus, proclaims his kingship, and begs for mercy. Jesus responds with infinite generosity.
For you and me, this phrase becomes a simple prayer: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” We can repeat it as a short prayer throughout the day, especially in moments of weakness, temptation, or suffering.
The path of lectio divina with this Gospel.
To pray with this text, we can follow the classic steps of lectio divina:
- Reading ( lectio )
Read the Gospel of Luke 23:35-43 calmly, two or three times, preferably in a low voice. Note who is in the scene, what they say, which words are repeated. Let the text speak for itself, without rushing to draw conclusions. Copy or highlight the words that touch you. - Meditation ( meditatio )
Place yourself in the scene as a participant. See the leaders, the soldiers, the two thieves, look at Jesus in silence. Ask yourself: which character do I resemble today? Is my attitude one of mockery, indifference, self-interest, or humble trust like that of the good thief? - Prayer ( oratio )
Responding to God with simple words. Asking forgiveness for the times when you spoke more about Jesus than with Jesus. Praying: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” “Jesus, remember me, a sinner.” Bringing up names, situations, people who need this merciful gaze. - Contemplation ( contemplatio )
Spend some time in silence before the crucified Jesus. This is not a time for excessive reasoning, but for remaining in God. Contemplate the King and Savior on the cross, who responds in no way to insult and who opens Paradise to a repentant sinner. Let this image descend into your heart. - Action ( actio )
Note: What concrete step does the Lord ask of me based on this prayer? It could be a gesture of reconciliation, a confession to be scheduled, a word of mercy for someone who has erred, an effort to speak more with Jesus throughout the day. Small, concrete, achievable.
Shalom!
See you next week!
