Dismas Crucified aka The Good Thief

“Truly I say to you, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” Jesus gave to only one person such a promise. So who was he? Was he a follower of Jesus? No! Was he one of the Sanhedrin? No! Was he a rabbi? No. he was none of them. Instead, those words were addressed to a thief dying on a cross alongside Jesus. From his cross of death, Dismas spoke up in defence of Jesus, stating that they deserved their punishment, but that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Dismas then asked Jesus to remember him when he came into His kingdom. Jesus responded promising Paradise to Dismas that very day with those wonderful words, “Truly I say unto you, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” Dismas, what do we know of him? ln truth, not much. We know his name, Dismas, that he was a thief being executed for his crimes, and that he spoke up in defence of Jesus and was greatly rewarded for it. With so little known about him, it has enabled me to explore his life as I have imagined him to be. This is a work of fiction, but based on historical fact. Read it, be as one with Dismas. You may shed a tear or two as you read it. I did as I wrote it. Enjoy.

Peter, one of four children, is an identical twin. He was born on the day of the Napier earthquake. He did his stint in CMT (Compulsory Military Training). Peter worked for the Inland Revenue Department of New Zealand as an income tax inspector. At age 49, single, he married a widow with six children; the best thing he ever did. Those children returned his love in abundance. As a past-time, he liked playing with words and has written many short stories, but hasn’t tried publishing them. Many are good and should be published.