Two ways - two ends (2) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luke 23:39-41

Two ways - two ends (2)
One of the criminals hanged with the Lord Jesus reviled the Son of God in the final hours of his life. The other suddenly uttered totally unexpected, significant words that could only proceed from a living faith in Christ. He first rebuked his fellow criminal, thus distancing himself from his scorn and standing up for the honour of Jesus.
He lamented that his accomplice showed no fear of God "under the same condemnation" on the cross. He acknowledged that they fully deserved their punishment, seeing their conviction as God's intervention. He possibly remembered what he had heard of the Messiah in his childhood. Most important, however, he overcame the obstacle at which most people fail even today: admitting his own guilt.
Seen objectively, this was the end of the life of two men who had both fallen badly, very badly. Yet in those final moments their lives took a different turn. One of them grasped saving faith. As we understand from the Lord's words, he has now been in paradise with Jesus, that place of true joy, for almost 2,000 years. The other one has been just as long in the place of torment.
Accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ still today determines the end of the pathway we choose for ourselves.
(to be continued on Thursday)
Today's reading: Zephaniah 2