Jesus and the Two Thieves (Christmas)

Two thieves were crucified alongside Jesus. One jeered that if he really was the Christ, he should come down and save them; the other would not let that mockery stand. Both were men who had risked their lives fighting to free their nation, and both had been caught.

The same circumstances drew two different responses, and what divided them was faith. One never saw his own sin, even as he was dying. The other confessed that Jesus had done nothing wrong and pleaded to be remembered when he came into his Kingdom. However much they had given for their nation, what settled their fate after death was that confession alone.

Going to church is not the same as believing in Jesus Christ. Working hard in the world has its value, but the real dividing line is what that life is for, and whether Christ comes first. Just as Jesus received the thief who confessed his faith at the very last, Christmas is a day that asks once more for that same Christ to become the standard by which we live.