The Lutheran Hour

"The Savior Takes a Sinner Home"

#78-03
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on September 26, 2010
Guest Speaker: Rev. Armin Oldsen
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Luke 23:43

You have no doubt at times been confused or amused by a typographical error in a newspaper. One wrong letter can strangely and completely change the meaning of a sentence or of an entire article. I am thinking now of a small-town paper which reported in a headline that there had been an accident. A subhead stated that the accident had caused a woman to become conscious. An accident that restores consciousness is a blessing, especially if the victim suddenly becomes conscious of his true relation to God. What a blessing to our world if the tragedy that lies so heavily upon us would lead many to become spiritually conscious. I know of one shocking event that brought a man suddenly to his spiritual senses. There were no newspapers when Christ lived on earth. If there had been, the headlines in the Jerusalem daily might have announced on a certain Friday evening, “JESUS OF NAZARETH DIES ON THE CROSS”. One of the subheads might fittingly have been, “MALEFACTOR SUFFERS CONSCIOUSNESS”. That’s what actually happened. One of the two who were crucified with Christ suddenly became aware of great spiritual truth. He saw himself as he really was; the sight was terrifying. He saw Christ as He really was; the sight was comforting. He pleaded, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” Christ promised, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” That’s how THE SAVIOR TOOK A SINNER HOME. Shall we step a little closer?

Who was the blessed sinner, who as the clock was about to strike midnight at the close of his life’s little day, turned suddenly from sin to the Savior, from death to eternal life? We won’t find his name in the largest of history books because he did nothing that was worth recording. Tradition won’t help much either, although it has at least given the man a name; it has called him Dysmas. A haze of 19 centuries lies between us and Dysmas; and at that distance the visibility is poor. The Bible tells us, however, everything that we need to know to get the thrill of the story. It does not describe Dysmas, but it classifies him as a criminal. It does not tell us who he was, but what he was, it calls him a thief. He was not an ordinary criminal, mind you, because he was being executed for his evil deeds and even as he was dying the painful way of crucifixion, he frankly admitted that he was getting what he had coming. When a man is slowly being tortured to death for his debt to society and still admits that he deserves it all, you can be sure that he did not live like an angel.

We are not going to waste any time condemning the man. He paid his debt to society and Christ paid his debt to God. He is one of the very few of whom we are certain that they are now in heaven. I can’t believe that God had the stories of great sinners like Dysmas recorded in the Bible simply to set up targets for the arrows of our criticism, to give us the satisfaction of righteous indignation as we draw far back on the bow. The man who can most vehemently and most eloquently denounce Dysmas is not necessarily the greatest saint. He may not even be a saint. It will be good for us to remember always that no sin has ever been committed anywhere by anyone that you and I are not capable of committing, if the circumstances are right. It’s quite humbling to realize that stronger characters than we are have become drunkards, adulterers, thieves, and murderers. I’ll never forget the man who was most unkind in his abuse of one who had committed suicide. He condemned him to the hottest corner in hell and yet he himself left life by the very same door six months later. You won’t mind if I repeat what I said, will you? No sin has ever been committed anywhere by anyone that you and I are not capable of committing if the circumstances are right. Great sinners like Dysmas have suddenly become great saints and vice versa. Never stand self-righteously aside and find delight in condemning another, no matter what he has done. The sin may be terrible, but the sinner needs help. Try to understand him and help him, that’s what Christ did. Shall we step still closer?

It is actually thrilling to watch the great sinner Dysmas become the great saint Dysmas, in the last inning, winning the game of life, as it were, when the game is almost over and the score seems to be hopelessly against him and there is time for only one more play. The change had to come suddenly because there was no time to lose. Even during the early hours that he hung on the cross, Dysmas joined in bitter ridicule of Christ. He did not then look much like a saint and he didn’t sound like one.

Christian chapels inside prison walls have sometimes been named in his honor: The Church of St. Dysmas. That’s not irony. It’s reassurance for those who live behind prison walls. In the hour of his execution, Dysmas, a great sinner, became a saint – that is, he became a child of God whose sins have been forgiven. Now there is hope for anyone on both sides of prison walls. Bible history presents many scenes in which the gracious Christ extends to the penitent, trusting sinner, the hand of forgiveness. But the most memorable scene of all, the scene that most impressively demonstrates how great is God’s love for the sinner and how complete is His forgiveness, takes us again to Calvary to hear Christ’s second word from the cross: “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”

How did it all happen? When did the iron door of hell clang shut and the gate of heaven open for Dysmas? The hell-bent, critically sick soul of Dysmas took a turn for the better when he recognized his guilt, when he got his first good look at himself – spiritually, I mean. What a contrast there was between what he was and what he could have been! What an even greater contrast there was between what he was and what God expected him to be! It was not the first time that the conscience of Dysmas had stirred uneasily. No doubt he had had his moments of remorse. But when a man’s health is good; when he sleeps well; and enjoys eating; when an easy and endless life of pleasure seems to stretch out far ahead; remorse does not have much chance to get a good grip on a man. But Dysmas was dying. Life can look quite different from the end of the trail. Hindsight is more realistic than foresight. Everything is seen in its proper relation.

Then, too, Dysmas now found himself suddenly close to a perfect Man. Virtue can make vice feel most uncomfortable. Dysmas was in the presence of the Holy Christ. We cannot tell whether he had ever seen Him before. The story of how he had saved the life of the infant Redeemer as His parents fled with Him to Egypt thirty years earlier has all the earmarks of a legend and we can’t give it any credence. It is possible that Dysmas had been among the many publicans and sinners who had come to hear Christ. The seed of God’s Word lies dormant in a man’s heart for a long time and then sprouts unexpectedly and grows up quickly. Dysmas must at least have heard about the Prophet of Nazareth. For three years there had been a great deal of talk about Him. And, no doubt, Dysmas had been watching Christ with interest ever since the death march began along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary early in the morning.

Christ had turned aside the pity of the women who wept at the sight of His suffering with sympathy for their fate, when He said: “Weep not for Me, but for yourselves and for your children weep.” Christ had refused the anesthetic provided by kind women of Jerusalem for all victims of the cross. He had not cursed nor complained. His love and meekness and kindness had been especially striking as He prayed for His tormentors, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” There was that strange title over His cross: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. Dysmas must have said to himself, “This man can’t be a malefactor. He doesn’t speak like one; He doesn’t act like one.” Dysmas began to feel uneasy in Christ’s presence. He tried to hide his feeling by joining in the mockery of Christ. Then he saw himself as he really was. The revelation was more shocking than the nails tearing through his hand!

Dysmas did more than recognize his guilt; he confessed it – openly and frankly – even where those could hear who were not sympathetic. You remember, Judas saw his guilt too and then he went out and hanged himself. Peter recognized his sin and then he went out and wept bitterly. But, Dysmas became suddenly aware of the evil in his life and confessed it, “We receive the due reward of our deeds.” He tried to hide nothing; he offered no excuses; he did not blame someone else for his kind of life – his parents, his companions, his environment, or society in general. He was guilty – he knew it and he said it.
It is so easy to become blind and insensitive to the guilt in one’s life. So-called little sins especially do not easily disturb us. Even when those of us who are church people confess our sins aloud in church or in private, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us … Forgive us our debts.” We often do so without any sense of reality. Our confession rarely bursts from us, as another has said, “red with shame and wet with tears.” As judges, we are distinctly prejudiced. We judge others severely by what we see them to be – and sometimes a good deal worse. We judge ourselves by our ideals – and sometimes a good deal better. By what we would like to be, by what we will be when once the remodeling in our character that we have been planning for years is finally completed. We learn to accept ourselves with all our failings and weaknesses and don’t easily recognize any need for improvement. In a church, a man might be able to say, “I thank Thee, God that I am not as other men are.” But when he stands in the presence of a holy and just God, he’s not likely to say that! Even a small spot on an evening dress can be most discomforting. The smallest of sins should cause a man to turn bright red with guilt in the presence of God and to plead, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Dysmas remembered the sin of a wicked lifetime and a confession burst from his sorrowful heart.

As he gazed at Christ, Whose innocence had so sharply set off his own iniquity, the picture changed as a scene on a screen fades from one picture into another. The innocent Christ became his Comforter, his Savior. Dysmas knew that Christ would be able to help him. There was no time to atone for his sin. And so he cast himself completely at the mercy of the Savior. It was not much that he asked: “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” One can easily imagine a choir singing in the distance, “Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling.” He asked simply to be remembered. Many a dying soul has pleaded: “Please, don’t forget me.” Dysmas asked it of a dying Man. But he has faith and trust that go far beyond death: “When Thou comest into Thy kingdom, Lord, remember me.” Oh, Christ was a King all right, Whose kingdom is not of this world. Soon He would leave the cross for a throne and put aside the nails for a scepter, and He would reign forever and ever. If He would only remember Dysmas, Dysmas would be able to bring his wicked life to a close with a hearty, “Hallelujah!”

Will Christ remember you? He forgave the woman taken in adultery. He forgave the dishonesty of Zacchaeus. Christ is going to answer – from the cross- out of His agony He was going to speak to a guilty wretch. What will He say? Will He remember him? He’ll do more than remember you. He’ll take him by the hand and take him along to heaven, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” Christ could have said, “Thy sins be forgiven.” This was infinitely better. He offered him the gift reserved only for those whose sins have already been forgiven. Now no one would ever be able to say, “Christ is not interested in me.” Now no one would ever be able to say, “It is too late to turn to Christ.” As long as you can pray with Dysmas, “Lord, remember me.” He’ll hear.

“Thou shalt be with Me in paradise.” In a little while Christ was going to announce where He was going, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” He would take Dysmas along. Human justice was saying, “Punish him severely.” God was saying, “Forgive him completely.” Most of us would consign a man like Dysmas to hell or certainly to jail; Christ took him to heaven. Many would say he would first have to be purged before he would be able to enter into heaven. But Christ’s forgiveness is complete. His mercy sweeps aside all thought of purging or atoning. And He says, “Today thou shalt be with Me in paradise.”

Before we leave Calvary, let me point out something that may have escaped you. You may wonder how Dysmas could so suddenly become confident. How different things would have been on Calvary if Christ had been an ordinary mortal! If Christ had been just an ordinary human being, what would He have been able to offer to Dysmas? An encouragement to lead a better life? How would Christ have acted? It was the end, you know. But there was no bitterness, no cynicism, no hopelessness in Christ. He had expected all this. He was sure that He was right. He spoke familiarly to His Heavenly Father. He announced that He was going home to heaven. He promised Dysmas He’d take him along. He was confident. Confidently you can now pray, “Lord, remember me.” Let me repeat for you Christ’s answer, “Thou shalt be with Me in paradise.” Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
September 26, 2010
Title: Can’t Avoid Sin

Announcer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.

Klaus: Hi, Mark.

Announcer: Well, today, we have a follow-up question from a previous discussion.

Klaus: Is this another one of those where our original answer wasn’t very clear?

Announcer: Oh, no, not so much. You were quite clear and the listener understood exactly what you were saying. And, it’s not even necessarily that what you said was incorrect. Our listener just thinks it sounds unfair.

Klaus: All right. That does narrow it down.

Announcer: Can guess what we’re going to talk about?

Klaus: Well, you know, usually, when people talk about God being unfair, it has to do with one of two things: either it’s a case where some good person dies before their time or else something to do with sin leading to hell.

Announcer: Well, in this case, it’s the second one.

Klaus: God is unfair for sending somebody to hell?

Announcer: A little bit more to it than that. Our listener writes, “If we cannot avoid sin because of our sinful nature, how then can God justify sending people to hell on the basis of those sins we can’t control and for which we are not then responsible?

Klaus: I don’t agree with the premise. It doesn’t matter whether we can control our sinning or not; we’re still responsible.

Announcer: Sounds like quite a challenge.

Klaus: Just for a moment, let me speak to the idea of original sin. The Bible clearly says we are conceived in sin. Sinful mother plus sinful father equals sinful child. We can’t help ourselves. We are born sinners. It is a part of us… as much a part of us as is our genetic code.

Announcer: Are you saying that that cute, cuddly, adorable little baby is already a sinner?

Klaus: Absolutely. A baby is a sinner just like the rest of humanity because it is part of humanity. But as part of humanity that child is also loved by the Lord and He has provided a way of salvation. But, the fact that that child is a sinner can be readily observed.

Announcer: Such as?

Klaus: Well, selfishness and self-centeredness. Babies want what they want, the way they want it, when they want it. And, they get angry, upset, frustrated if you don’t provide for them the way they want. They can’t say it in words, but those qualities are there. And, there are a lot of other examples we could give, but that probably will have to do.

Announcer: Well, thank God for His mercy and for the gift of Baptism. But the question really is, “If we’re born with that sinful nature, are we really responsible and should we go to hell then as a punishment?

Klaus: Mark, let me ask you… if a mosquito lands on your arm and starts biting and drawing blood, how are you going to respond to that?

Announcer: I will immediately squish it flat.

Klaus: But, Mark, that mosquito can’t help what it’s doing. It’s part of its nature to do what it’s doing. If it is going to reproduce, it has to slurp away.

Announcer: Well, I would say that if it’s part of a mosquito’s nature to slurp away, it’s part of my nature to squash it flat.

Klaus: Now I know a mosquito is not especially cute or cuddly, but the example is a good one.

Announcer: In what way?

Klaus: Sin is part of our nature. Sin isn’t just the things we do, the things we say and think that are wrong… sinners is who we are. It’s part of our nature to transgress God’s laws.

Announcer: But, God’s nature is….

Klaus: Well, God’s nature is to squoosh sin. God can’t stand the stuff. He is altogether holy and can’t abide the presence of sin. After God created the world, He looked around and said it was ‘very good.” It was only after our disobedience brought sin into the world that death and condemnation became a reality… our reality. That’s God’s justice and His holiness in action.

Announcer: Might there be anything else you would want to say?

Klaus: There is one more thing we absolutely need to say. God’s justice and holiness reacts very, very negatively to our sin. But God is more complex than that. He has other qualities which kick into gear. God is also gracious and merciful. Although we don’t deserve it, He sent His Son into this world to seek and save the lost. Everyone who is a sinner can be, through Holy Spirit-given faith in Jesus, become a forgiven and saved sinner. The Bible says, “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.” And, if you want to talk about unfairness, take a look at what happened to Jesus as God saved sinners like you and me.

Announcer: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC

“Holy Spirit, Light Divine” arr. Dave Horn. Used by permission.

“Father Most Holy” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

“How Can I Thank You, Lord” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)