³⁵ And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!"
³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar,
³⁷ and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
³⁸ There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
⁴¹ And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
⁴² And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
⁴³ And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

• The reading for today's feast is not of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem where He was greeted like a king. Today's passage pointedly serves as an indication that Jesus' kingship is one of love and sacrifice, not of power and domination.
• (v.35) Jesus' enemies propose that if He is the "Son of God," He can save Himself and will not die. In contrast, because He is truly "Son of God," Jesus will die in obedience to God's will.
• (v.35) "save yourself": the challenge by Jesus' enemies echoes the temptation of Satan. In both instances, Jesus is urged to defy death and to avoid the cross. But in both instances, Jesus is victorious.
• The mocking, ironically, proclaims the truth about Jesus and His identity: The Christ of God, the Chosen One, the King of the Jews and the Savior of the people.
• (v.42) "when you come into your kingdom": These words imply that the repentant criminal expected Jesus to reign after death. He had been given some revelation that the dying Jesus was truly a king and can dispense the pardon and mercy, which only a king can. In Luke, he was the last person that Jesus talked to before He died.

Down through history, thousands and millions of subjects have died for their kings, but Jesus is the King who dies for us. He accepted crucifixion as the climax of the perfect obedience to His Father.

1. How do we explain the passive attitude of the people? In what ways do they resemble us?
2. How does the repentant criminal symbolize us? In what ways does he resemble us?

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community