Homily for November 24, 2019

There is a story – a religious fairy tale of sorts – about a monastery of nuns that Satan wanted to drag down to hell. But he couldn't get the better of them. So, Satan disguised himself as the Risen Christ and his fellow demons as angels of light.

They came in the night, while the nuns were keeping vigil for the return of Christ. Suddenly, the darkness outside was overwhelmed by a great light. Satan and his company approached the monastery chanting the psalm, "O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher ancient doors. Let him enter, the King of Glory!" Filled with joy, the nuns opened the church door and responded in song, "Who is the King of Glory?" Satan spread his arms wide and bellowed, "I am the King of Glory!" And the whole host of demons disguised as angels of light chorused, "He is the King of Glory!" But the nuns recoiled when they saw Lucifer and slammed the door in his face. They refused to let the imposter enter because there were no nail marks in the palms of his hands. He had no wounds of love.

Kings and queens are recognized by their crowns and the grandeur of their clothing and their surroundings. Jesus, in His passion, did not look like a king. His earthly palace was Golgotha; His throne was a wooden cross; His crown was a wreath of bloodied thorns; His royal court was a thief on His right and left, with soldiers gambling for His clothes at His feet, and elders sneering and mocking Him. He did not look anything like a king.

Scripture tells us that both thieves at first insulted Jesus. These men were pathetic. They had committed crime after crime descending lower and lower until they hit rock-bottom and were hung on their own crosses. They were failures crying out in agony. But Jesus was not dying like one of them; He was not crying out and cursing the day of His birth. In fact, Jesus wasn't saying much at all. But what He did say will never be forgotten. On behalf of those who tortured and reviled Him, He said: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

It will always be a mystery how two people can hear the same words and yet react so differently. One robber continued to insult Jesus; the other made an amazing act of faith, saying, "We are getting what we deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Only minutes before he had mocked Jesus. Now he asked for a place in His kingdom. He could not be thinking of an earthly kingdom because Jesus would soon be dead. He had to be thinking of a kingdom beyond death, a kingdom that endures forever, a kingdom that belongs only to the King of kings.

What a wonderful witness! He was the first to recognize that the wounds of Jesus were wounds of love. He looked at Jesus and saw the King of Glory. Jesus must have rejoiced when this lost sheep stumbled into the fold mere moments before his final breath.

Of this particular moment, Max Lucado writes, "At this point Jesus performs the greatest miracle of the Cross. Greater than the earthquake. Greater than the tearing of the temple curtain. Greater than the darkness covering the earth. He performs the miracle of forgiveness. A sin-soaked criminal is received by a blood stained Savior," and washed clean by wounds of love.

When the King of Glory comes with love radiating through all His wounds, will He find His image reflected in us? Will He find our wounds transformed by His love like the good thief?

We pray that we, like the good thief, may turn to Jesus Christ, recognize His glory, and be transformed by our acceptance of His healing love. +