ACC ~ Luke 23 v43

JESUS SPEAKS IN THE UNITY OF HIS TWO NATURES

LEO THE GREAT: Until now, one [thief] was the equal in all things of his companion. He was a robber on the roads and always a danger to the safety of people. Deserving the cross, he suddenly becomes a confessor of Christ. … “Remember me, Lord, when you enter into your kingdom.” …

Then came the gift in which faith itself received a response. Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” This promise surpasses the human condition, because it did not come so much from the wood of a cross as from a throne of power. From that height, he gives a reward to faith. There he abolishes the debt of human transgression, [1] because the “form of God” did not separate itself from the “form of a servant.” [2] Even in the middle of this punishment, both the inviolable divinity and the suffering human nature preserved its own character and its own oneness. SERMON 53.1.2. [3]

[1] See Col 2:14.

[2] Phil 2:6-7.

[3] FC 93:230-31**.

CHRIST OPENS PARADISE FOR THE THIEF

CHRYSOSTOM: In the beginning, God shaped man, and man was an image of the Father and the Son. God said, “Let us make man to our image and likeness.” [1] Again, when he wished to bring the thief into paradise, he immediately spoke the word and brought him in. Christ did not need to pray to do this, although he had kept all people after Adam from entering there. God put there the flaming sword to guard Paradise. [2] By his authority, Christ opened paradise and brought in the thief. AGAINST THE ANOMOEANS 9.15. [3]

[1] Gen 1:26.

[2] Gen 3:24.

[3] FC 72:239**.

JESUS REMOVES THE FLAMING SWORD

ORIGEN: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Through saying this, he also gave to all those who believe and confess access to the entrance that Adam previously had closed by sinning. Who else could remove “the flaming turning sword which was placed to guard the tree of life” and the gates of paradise? What other sentinel was able to turn the “cherubim” from their incessant vigil, except only he to whom “was given all power in heaven and in earth”? [1] No one else besides him could do these things. HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS 9.5. [2]

HUMANITY AGAIN PERMITTED TO ENTER PARADISE

PRUDENTIUS:

We believe in thy words, O Redeemer,

Which, when triumphing over death’s darkness,

Thou didst speak to thy robber companion,

Bidding him in thy footprints to follow.

Lo, now to the faithful is opened

The bright road to paradise leading;

Man again is permitted to enter

The garden he lost to the Serpent.

To that sacred abode, O great Leader,

Take, we pray thee, the soul of thy servant;

Let it rest in its native country,

Which it left, as an exile to wander.

HYMN FOR EVERY DAY 10.157-68. [3]

[1] Mt 28:18.

[2] FC 83:185**.

[3] FC 43:77.

STRETCHING OUT HIS ARMS ON THE CROSS

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: The hands that Adam stretched out toward the tree of knowledge, breaking the commandment, were unworthy of stretching out toward the tree of life to receive the gifts of the God that they had despised. Our Lord took these hands and attached them to the cross, so that they might kill their killer and arrive at his marvelous life. “You will be with me in the garden of delights.” “Remember me in your kingdom.” Since he had seen with the eyes of faith the dignity of our Lord instead of his shame and his glory instead of his humiliation, he said, “Remember me. What is apparent now, the nails and the cross, will not make me forget what will be at the consummation and what is not yet visible: your kingdom and your glory.” COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 20.24. [1]

ADAM HEARS OF HIS RETURN TO THE GARDEN

EPHREM THE SYRIAN:

Because Adam touched the tree

he had to run to the fig;

he became like the fig tree,

being clothed in its vesture:

Adam, like some tree,

blossomed with leaves.

Then he came to that glorious

tree of the cross,

put on glory from it,

acquired radiance from it,

heard from it the truth

that he would return to Eden once more.

HYMN ON PARADISE 12.10. [2]

[1] ECTD 306**.

[2] HOP 164.

A TREE BROUGHT RUIN AND PARADISE

CYRIL OF JERUSALEM: The tree brought ruin to Adam. It will bring you into paradise. Do not fear the Serpent. He will not throw you out, for he has fallen from heaven. I do not say to you, ‘This day you will depart,’ but ‘This day you will be with me.’” Take heart; you will not be thrown out. Do not fear the flaming sword, because it stands in awe of its Lord. CATECHETICAL LECTURES 13.31. [1]

THE THIEF ENTERS THE GARDEN IN ADAM’S PLACE

EPHREM THE SYRIAN:

Adam had been naked and fair,

but his diligent wife

labored and made for him

a garment covered with stains.

The garden, seeing him thus vile,

drove him forth.

Through Mary Adam had

another robe

which adorned the thief;

and when he became resplendent at Christ’s promise,

the garden, looking on,

embraced him in Adam’s place.

HYMN ON PARADISE 4.5. [2]

[1] FC 64:25**.

[2] HOP 99.

PARADISE PROMISED TO ALL THE SAINTS

ORIGEN: “I will recall you from there in the end.” [1] I think this means that at the end of the ages his only-begotten Son descended even into the nether regions, [2] for the salvation of the world and recalled “the first-formed man” [3] from there. Understand that what he said to the thief, “This day you shall be with me in paradise,” was not said to him alone but also to all the saints for whom he had descended into the nether regions. In this man more than in Jacob the words will be fulfilled, “I will recall you from there in the end.” HOMILY ON GENESIS 15.5. [4]

[1] Gen 46:4 LXX.

[2] See Eph 4:9

[3] See Wis 7:1.

[4] FC 71:211-12**.

THE PENITENT THIEF IS WITH CHRIST

AMBROSE: He asked the Lord to remember him when he came into his kingdom, but the Lord said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, this day you shall be with me in paradise.” For life is to be with Christ, because where Christ is, there is the kingdom. EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.121. [1]

[1] EHG 427**.

WATER AND BLOOD OPEN PARADISE

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: Through the mystery of the water and blood flowing out from the Lord’s side, the robber received the sprinkling that gave him the forgiveness of sins. “You will be with me in this garden of delights.” COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 20.26. [1]

[1] ECTD 307**.

TO BE WITH CHRIST IN PARADISE

AUGUSTINE: “Recognize to whom you are commending yourself. You believe I am going to come, but even before I come, I am everywhere. That is why, although I am about to descend into hell, I have you with me in paradise today. You are with me and not entrusted to someone else. You see, my humility has come down to mortal human beings and to the dead, but my divinity has never departed from paradise.” SERMON 285.2. [1]

[1] WSA 3 8:96**

THROUGH THE ALTAR OF THE CROSS THE THIEF ENTERS PARADISE

LEO THE GREAT: This cross of Christ holds the mystery of its true and prophesied altar. There, through the saving victim, a sacrifice of human nature is celebrated. There the blood of a spotless lamb dissolved the pact of that ancient transgression. There the whole perversity of the devil’s mastery was abolished, while humility triumphed as conqueror over boasting pride. The effect of faith was so swift that one of the two thieves crucified with Christ who believed in the Son of God entered paradise justified.

Who could explain the mystery of such a great gift? Who could describe the power of such a marvelous transformation? In a brief moment of time, the guilt of a longstanding wickedness was abolished. In the middle of the harsh torments of a struggling soul, fastened to the gallows, that thief passes over to Christ, and the grace of Christ gives a crown to him, someone who incurred punishment for his own wickedness. SERMON 55.3. [1]

[1] FC 93:239**.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS THE KEY TO PARADISE

JEROME: That flaming, flashing sword [1] was keeping Paradise safe. No one could open the gates that Christ closed. The thief was the first to enter with Christ. His great faith received the greatest of rewards. His faith in the kingdom did not depend on seeing Christ. He did not see him in his radiant glory or behold him looking down from heaven. He did not see the angels serving him. To put it plainly, he certainly did not see Christ walking about in freedom, but on a gibbet, drinking vinegar and crowned with thorns. He saw him fastened to the cross and heard him begging for help, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [2] … The cross of Christ is the key to paradise. The cross of Christ opened it. Has he not said to you, “The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force”? [3] Does not the One on the cross cause the violence? There is nothing between the cross and paradise. The greatest of pains produces the greatest of rewards. ON LAZARUS AND DIVES. [4]

THE COMFORT THE THIEF BRINGS TO SINNERS

EPHREM THE SYRIAN:

There came to my ear

from the Scripture which had been read

a word that caused me joy

on the subject of the thief;

it gave comfort to my soul

amidst the multitude of its vices,

telling how he had compassion on the thief.

O may he bring me too

into that garden at the sound of whose name

I am overwhelmed by joy;

my mind bursts its reins

as it goes forth to contemplate him.

HYMN ON PARADISE 8.1. [5]

[1] See Gen 3:24.

[2] Ps 22:1 (21:1 LXX).

[3] Mt 11:12.

[4] FC 57:209-10.

[5] HOP 131.