Mar 16, 2016 – 2 ‘Sinners’ Dismas and Testas (no audio: mid-Lent 6)

Mar 16, 2016 – 2 ‘Sinners’ Dismas and Testas (no audio: mid-Lent 6)

Tonight in our last look at the contrast of Lenten shadow and light we come to 2 ‘sinners’. One, whom church tradition names Dismas, and the other is known as Testas – again this is according to tradition and not scripture. These are the names given to the 2 thieves that Jesus dies between. It’s a good idea, having names to put with these 2 people. Like shadow and light, realizing they each really had names helps us to compare and contrast them so that they can teach us.

Dismas is the one we all dearly love and lean on for hope. We love this man because of what he was so bold to ask Jesus for as they both hung dying together. He asked “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” He says this without craftiness or deception – he simply asks. And notice when he asks. He asks after he’s made clear that he is guilty and that Jesus is innocent. Dismas is shadow and Jesus is light.

Now looking at the other thief on a cross who was condemning Jesus, the one known as Testas. He was the one that was hurling insults at Jesus though he and Jesus and Dismas were all in the same situation. But rather than admit his guilt Testas tried to insult Jesus in order to get out of his own punishment for his own wrongdoing. Dismas, on the other hand, is the one that reveals to us, by his words, that confession is the mark of true faith. Without the straightforward confession of guilt there can be no forgiveness.

The light of hope in the forgiveness of Christ that Dismas points us to is the reflected light of Jesus. It’s the light of the gospel which he has grasped by Jesus’ words and works. By this, Dismas, though under the shadow of death as he hung on the cross, shows us that the light of hope shines in even our darkest places. He reflects to us the healing light of life in Christ. Dismas shows us that confession is, indeed, good for the soul.

If we try and conceal our dark sin, or hem-and-haw and try to put the blame for our sin on others or try to say it was ‘only a little sin’ a ‘little wrong’, if we try and take the way of Testas and say, ‘just get me out of this’ without admitting we were wrong; if we do any of that, then we have no claim on the cross of Christ. That cross and punishment that Jesus bears is what we deserved.

That cross is what Dismas admits is our just punishment. And yet it is Jesus who pays that punishment for us. And Dismas, after making his confession, simply falls on Jesus’ mercy and says the words, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” His words are our words too. Like that thief we speak those words from our place in the shadow of our shame and guilt.

We said at the start that this man is one we all love, but we also have to admit our difficulty in understanding him. That’s because he represents us all so well and that make us uncomfortable. And that’s because he’s a thief, a bad guy, and a guy convicted of doing the wrong thing and that’s not how we like to see ourselves. Yet Dismas professes to trust in Jesus, the holy One, the One this thief himself has said is innocent. He claims to trust and believe in Jesus, just as we do.

Even though he’s a convicted thief he claims faith just as we do, and that is what makes him most understandable to us. As we said, we’re as guilty as he was. We are convicted of our dark wrong doing, and yet, like that thief, we also claim to trust in that same Holy One, Jesus Christ. We profess no merit or worthiness of our own, and just like Dismas we are guilty, and we too ask along with him, we ask for mercy only, because we deserve only death.

Our look at the shadow and light of the cross this Lenten season has been helpful in revealing the true light of hope that Dismas trusted in as he died on his cross. Like the centurion last week, we’ve recognized that Jesus is truly the Son of God, the light of the world. Like Barabbas set free from the shadow of his prison, we’ve been brought into the light of freedom by the sacrifice of Christ.

As Jesus was making that sacrifice He spoke to Dismas these words “today you will be with me in paradise.” Those words of Jesus to our brother-thief are Jesus’ words to us also.

Accepting that we are like that thief, if we recognize our identity in him, then we also hear the words of Christ spoken to him as spoken to us. We also have the light of the promise of Christ as our own as we bear our crosses through this dark world. We must take Jesus at His word, not only for our guilt, but for the light of our pardon in His blood as well. “Today, He tells each of us, you will be with me in paradise.” In the light of Jesus name we pray, amen.

 

Sermon #817 Rev. Thomas A. Rhodes, Pastor – Zion Lutheran Church, Bolivar, MO

 

Holy Gospel                                                                                                               Luke 23:39-43

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Mar 16, 2016 – 2 ‘Sinners’ Dismas and Testas

Tonight in our last look at the contrast of Lenten shadow and light we come to 2 ‘sinners’. One, whom church tradition names Dismas, and the other is known as Testas – again this is according to tradition and not scripture. These are the names given to the 2 thieves that Jesus dies between. It’s a good idea, having names to put with these 2 people. Like shadow and light, realizing they each really had names helps us to compare and contrast them so that they can teach us.

Dismas is the one we all dearly love and lean on for hope. We love this man because of what he was so bold to ask Jesus for as they both hung dying together. He asked “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” He says this without craftiness or deception – he simply asks. And notice when he asks. He asks after he’s made clear that he is guilty and that Jesus is innocent. Dismas is shadow and Jesus is light.

Now looking at the other thief on a cross who was condemning Jesus, the one known as Testas. He was the one that was hurling insults at Jesus though he and Jesus and Dismas were all in the same situation. But rather than admit his guilt Testas tried to insult Jesus in order to get out of his own punishment for his own wrongdoing. Dismas, on the other hand, is the one that reveals to us, by his words, that confession is the mark of true faith. Without the straightforward confession of guilt there can be no forgiveness.

The light of hope in the forgiveness of Christ that Dismas points us to is the reflected light of Jesus. It’s the light of the gospel which he has grasped by Jesus’ words and works. By this, Dismas, though under the shadow of death as he hung on the cross, shows us that the light of hope shines in even our darkest places. He reflects to us the healing light of life in Christ. Dismas shows us that confession is, indeed, good for the soul.

If we try and conceal our dark sin, or hem-and-haw and try to put the blame for our sin on others or try to say it was ‘only a little sin’ a ‘little wrong’, if we try and take the way of Testas and say, ‘just get me out of this’ without admitting we were wrong; if we do any of that, then we have no claim on the cross of Christ. That cross and punishment that Jesus bears is what we deserved.

That cross is what Dismas admits is our just punishment. And yet it is Jesus who pays that punishment for us. And Dismas, after making his confession, simply falls on Jesus’ mercy and says the words, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” His words are our words too. Like that thief we speak those words from our place in the shadow of our shame and guilt.

We said at the start that this man is one we all love, but we also have to admit our difficulty in understanding him. That’s because he represents us all so well and that make us uncomfortable. And that’s because he’s a thief, a bad guy, and a guy convicted of doing the wrong thing and that’s not how we like to see ourselves. Yet Dismas professes to trust in Jesus, the holy One, the One this thief himself has said is innocent. He claims to trust and believe in Jesus, just as we do.

Even though he’s a convicted thief he claims faith just as we do, and that is what makes him most understandable to us. As we said, we’re as guilty as he was. We are convicted of our dark wrong doing, and yet, like that thief, we also claim to trust in that same Holy One, Jesus Christ. We profess no merit or worthiness of our own, and just like Dismas we are guilty, and we too ask along with him, we ask for mercy only, because we deserve only death.

Our look at the shadow and light of the cross this Lenten season has been helpful in revealing the true light of hope that Dismas trusted in as he died on his cross. Like the centurion last week, we’ve recognized that Jesus is truly the Son of God, the light of the world. Like Barabbas set free from the shadow of his prison, we’ve been brought into the light of freedom by the sacrifice of Christ.

As Jesus was making that sacrifice He spoke to Dismas these words “today you will be with me in paradise.” Those words of Jesus to our brother-thief are Jesus’ words to us also.

Accepting that we are like that thief, if we recognize our identity in him, then we also hear the words of Christ spoken to him as spoken to us. We also have the light of the promise of Christ as our own as we bear our crosses through this dark world. We must take Jesus at His word, not only for our guilt, but for the light of our pardon in His blood as well. “Today, He tells each of us, you will be with me in paradise.” In the light of Jesus name we pray, amen.

Sermon #817 Rev. Thomas A. Rhodes, Pastor – Zion Lutheran Church, Bolivar, MO

Holy Gospel                                                                                       Luke 23:39-43

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”