The Lord and the Two Thieves-Jesus, Dysmas and Gestas

On the day that Lord Jesus was crucified so were two thieves on His left and His right! One stayed unrepentant right to the very end, the other did receive new insight! Now Gestas, the one placed to His left, most defiantly railed out loud- "If Thou Be Christ Save Thyself And Us!", this he said before a deriding crowd! All the while the soldiers were mocking Christ, and vinegar they wanted Him to drink! Dysmas was watching and taking all this in, this view gave him much to rethink! "Dost Thou Not Fear GOD" he asked Gestas, for he was having some deep second thoughts! Obviously his life passed before his very eyes, knowing his predicament he could change not! All the while, Jesus, between these two was putting His own death on hold. Here there was one more soul to save and this moment would forever be told! "Thou Art In The Same Condemnation", Dysmas said- his new insight had made him say so. Jesus all the while, I believe He did smile, for the sound of repentance He did know! "For We Receive The Due Reward Of Our Deeds"- an epiphany Dysmas did receive. Here was a man also hanging on a cross who realized he did now believe! Now Jesus, smiling, turned His head to the right when the next thing He heard was this- Dysmas said what was true from his changed heart, "This Man Has Done Nothing Amiss!" The smile in the eyes of Jesus said it all, when the next words from the thief to His right, were.... "Lord, Remember Me When Thou Comest Into Thy Kingdom" and it was about the sixth hour of that night! The love of this Man named Jesus with no regard for His own plight did rise, when He looked Dysmas right into his eyes and said- "Today Shalt Thou Be With Me In Paradise!" Such were the last moments in time recorded of Jesus and these two thieves! Whatever one's done.... even if wrong in life, "Paradise" will be attained if one believes! (WTA-IV)