taunting Jesus, in imitation of
the Sanhedrists. This has, indeed, been doubted or denied by those, of
whom there have been many, who have experienced difficulty in
understanding how so complete a revolution as the conversion of the
penitent thief could take place in so short a time. Two of the
Evangelists say that those crucified with Him reviled Him; but it is
just possible grammatically to explain this as referring only to one of
them; because sometimes an action is attributed to a class, though only
one person of the class has done it.[2] The natural interpretation,
however, is that both did it. It is likely enough, indeed, that the
one who did not repent began it, and that the other joined in, less of
his own accord than in imitation of his reckless associate. Very
probably this was not the first time that he had been dragged into sin
by the same attraction. His companion may have been his evil genius,
who had ruined his life and brought him at last to this shameful end.

It was an awful extreme of wickedness to be engaged, so near their own
end, in hurling opprobrious words at a fellow-sufferer. Of course, the
very excess of pain made crucified persons reckless; and to be engaged
doing anything, especially anything violent, helped to make them forget
their agony. It mattered not who or what was the object of attack;
they were reduced to the condition of tortured animals; and the trapped
brute bites at anything which approaches it. This was the state of the
impenitent thief. But the other drew back from his companion with
horror. The very excess of sin overleaped itself; and for the first
time he saw how vile a wretch he was. This was brought home to him by
the contrast of the patience and peace of Jesus. His brutal companion
had hitherto been his ideal; but now he perceives how base is his
ferocious courage in comparison with the strength of Christ's serene
endurance.

The desire to explain away the suddenness of the conversion has led to
all sorts of conjectures as to the possibility of previous meetings
between the thief and Christ. It is quite legitimate to dwell on what
he had seen of the behaviour of Jesus from the moment when they were
brought into contact in the crucifixion. He had heard Him pray for the
forgiveness of His enemies; he had witnessed His demeanour on the way
to Calvary and heard His words to the daughters of Jerusalem; the very
cries of His enemies round the cross, when they