Dürer's sketch - Who Dismas was - The gospel narrative - A figure of fascination
Choice of name by Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl

Who Dismas was: Dismas, or the "good thief", was one of the two thieves crucified with Jesus, the other being traditionally known as Gestas. Dismas is the one who rebuked the other, and asked for Christ's blessing.

The name Dismas, traditionally attributed to the "good thief", is symbolic. It comes from the Greek Dusmas, meaning annihilating, lowering, closing or ending. The name, than, indicates the dying life of this man, who at its close "robbed Heaven" (as St Ambrose says). The traditional name of the other thief, Gestas, is also symbolic. It is derived from the Greek Gesta, that means to complain or to moan.

The story of Dismas and his final "robbery" is mentioned only in just one gospel of the New Testament, that of Luke. Quite appropriately, in fact, since this gospel is known as the "gospel of mercy". An practically identical account of what may be found in the Luke's gospel may also be found in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus (10:2). Another apocryphal gospel, the Arabic "Infancy Gospel", fancifully makes Dismas a member of a robber band who ambushed the holy family on their refugee journey to Egypt, but released them when they recognised their holiness. In the legend, however, Dismas is called Titus, and Gestas is called Dimachus. This is how the legend goes (ch.23):

From there Joseph and the lady Mary departed and came to a desert place, and when they heard that it was infested with raids by robbers, they decided to pass through this region by night. But behold, on the way they saw two robbers lying on the road, and with them a crowd of robbers who belonged to them, likewise sleeping. Now those two robbers, into whose hands they had fallen, were Titus and Dimachus. And Titus said to Dimachus: "I ask you to let these (people) go free, and in such a way that our companions do not observe them". But Dimachus refused and Titus said again: "Take from me forty drachmae and have them as a pledge". At the same time he reached him the girdle which he wore round him, that he might hold his tongue and not speak. When the noble lady Mary saw that this robber had shown kindness to them, she said to him: "The Lord God will uphold you with his right hand and grant you forgiveness of sins". And the Lord Jesus answered and said to his mother: "In thirty years, mother, the Jews will crucify me in Jerusalem, and those two robbers will be fastened to the cross with me, Titus on my right hand and Dimachus on my left, and after that day Titus will go before me into paradise". And she said: "God preserve you from that, my son". And they departed from there to the city of idols; and when they drew near to it, they had been changed into sand hills.

The gospel narrative: The other three gospels of the New Testament do not elaborate on the thieves' story. They only say that, after crucifying Jesus, they crucified also "two thieves". All of the four gospels are in agreement, however, on one point: that Jesus was crucified with a thief on each side (Mt 27:38; Mk 15:27; Jn 19:18; u Lk 23:33). Though Luke does not indicate on which side of Jesus Dismas was crucified, from an ancient text probably tracing itself down to the "Infancy Gospel" (quoted above), it has always been held that he was on the right-hand side of Jesus. The full narrative of Luke is the following (23:39-43):

 

One of the criminals hanging there abused (Jesus): "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well". But the other spoke up and rebuked him. "Have you no fear of God at all?" he said. "You got the sam sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom". He answered him, "In truth I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise".

 

The Gospel of John gives a further detail. He narrates that, in order to avoid the bodies of the crucified remaining on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to hasten the death of the condemned by having the legs broken and their bodies taken away. Consequently, says John, "the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with (Jesus) and then of the other" (19:32). This means, incidentally, that Dismas and Gestas were not yet died. In fact, on seeing that Jesus was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, they pierced his side with a lance.

St Dismas' memorial is usually celebrated on March 25, this being the traditional calendar date of the Crucifixion, though the Passover and Easter celebrations move from year to year.

A figure of fascination: Dismas is the last person Jesus talked to before dying. He is the only person who was assured of a place in Heaven before his death (as St John Chrysostome noted). He is also the only person "canonized", or rather declared to be surely saved, and in heaven, by Jesus himself.

St Bernard states that Dismas had 40 years at his death. He also says that he had committed "thousands upon thousands" of crimes. Tradition holds that Dismas was an Egyptian, and that the Blessed Virgin interceded for him before Jesus from the foot of the cross. Pope John Paul II says (homily for the feast of Christ the King, 1998) that, while crucified, the "good thief" spoke to Jesus about the "kingdom" as if he had heard what had been said between Pilate and Jesus a few hours before at Jesus' trial. "Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate had asked. Jesus had replied, "Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others said it to you about me?" Then Pilate had answered, "Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?" To this Jesus had replied, "Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. As it is," Jesus had continued, "my kingdom does not belong here" (Jn 18:33-37).

Along the centuries, the idea of a "good thief" fascinated many people. It inspired a large number of artistic literary, dramatic and cinematographic works. Though their theme is not always religious, they are all inspired by the basic idea of a man steeped in wrongdoing who succeeds just the same in doing good. One final version of this theme was developed for a recent film by Neil Jordan called The Good Thief (2003).

Choice of name: The reason for which Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl keeps St Dismas in special regard is not to build up some kind of religious devotion to the saint. Without denying the spiritual potential of the narrative of the "good thief" in Luke's gospel, we recognize that St Dismas' figure somehow suggests deliverance from condemnation, hope in despair, and love and mercy shown to the human person of the convict, notwithstanding whatever he may have done in the past.

In some way, the relation between St Dismas and Jesus symbolises the prisoners' relationship with us, and our's with them.