Luke, the painter, sketches a scene for us that should be imprinted upon our hearts for eternity: Two men – "evil doers" – only a few meters apart, and Jesus, the man in the middle.  All three are suffering the most horrific torture that the decadent Roman Empire could concoct.  Two men suffer for their sins; one man suffers for the sins of others.  For one of these two men, death will be liberation from the agonies of this world; it will be the "way to life."  For the other, death will be a continuation of the torment he has chosen as his "way of living."

Two men, meters apart, with Jesus in the middle, both men representative of the inner struggle that each of us must face.  Which man am I choosing to become?  One man mocks and condemns the faithful.  He makes demands and all of his demands are self-centric.  What is to keep me from becoming that man?  One man acknowledges his sin and leaps to the defense of the beaten Jesus.  He takes the mocking that is aimed at the vulnerable Jesus and says, "If you are to mock anyone, mock me, for I deserve this death."

What can I do to help me become that man?

What can I do to become less self-centric, cynical, demanding and hateful? What can I do to become an advocate for the vulnerable, aware of my own selfishness and sin, absent of judgment and spite?  Finally, what can I do to make sure that my last words ask for forgiveness and love and not be demanding words of spite and condemnation?

Two men, meters apart, with Jesus in the middle.  One received salvation on that day; one continued in bitterness for eternity.  And Jesus is still in the middle.