The King of the Jews Is Declared, And The First Beneficiary of the Cross Is Revealed (23:34-42).
If we accept Luke 23:34 as part of the text this passage opens and closes with an emphasis on the forgiveness now being made available. Forgiveness is seen as central to the cross (compare Luke 24:46-47; Acts 5:30-31).
(Note how the chiasmus is evidence for its inclusion. We can well understand why later copyists, aware of the destruction of Jerusalem, which they may have seen as indicating that the prayer no longer applied, and aware of fierce persecutions continually brought on their fellow Christians by Jewish informers, may have excised this verse (understandably but quite wrongly) precisely because they saw it as no longer applying, and possibly because it provided a basis for unbelievers to argue that Jesus' prayer had failed, or because they were unable to be quite so forgiving as Jesus, arguing that the Jews now did know what they were doing. Something of the bitterness of unbelieving Jews against Christians, which existed from the beginning and went on for centuries, comes out in Acts 14:5; Acts 14:19; Acts 17:5; Acts 17:13; Acts 18:6; Acts 21:27; Acts 23:12).
The evidence for the inclusion or otherwise of the verse is remarkably equally divided, but with the evidence of early writers supporting its inclusion. Thus it is included in Aleph (Sinaiticus); A (Alexandrinus); D corrector; f1; f13; 565; 700; old latin and some syriac versions; Marcion; Irenaeus; Clement of Alexandria; Origen. It is, however, excluded in p75; Aleph corrector; B; D; W; Theta; 0124; 1241; 579 and some syriac; etc. and later by Cyril, admittedly a powerful combination.
Either way it has to be argued that it was included (or excluded) very early on, and if Luke did at some stage issue a revised edition that may well explain the situation. Significantly the language suggests that it is Lucan. And its place in the chiasmus argues for its inclusion from the beginning. We will therefore interpret the text on that basis.
Analysis.
a Jesus said, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34 a).
b “For they do not know what they are doing.” And parting His garments among them, they cast lots (Luke 23:34 b).
c And the people stood watching, and the rulers also scoffed at Him, saying, “He saved others, let Him save Himself, if this is the Christ (Messiah) of God, His chosen.” And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself” (Luke 23:35-37).
d And there was also a superscription over Him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS (Luke 23:38).
c And one of the evildoers who were hanged, railed on Him, saying, “Are you not the Christ (Messiah)? Save yourself and us” (Luke 23:39).
b But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:40-41).
a And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your Kingly Rule.” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42).
Note that in ‘a' Jesus prays for forgiveness for those who are doing this to Him, and in the parallel He assures the repentant evildoer of forgiveness. In ‘b' the Jewish leaders (and possibly also the people) do not know what they are doing, and in the parallel the railing evildoer is informed that he does not know what he is doing. In ‘c' the rulers and the soldiers scoff at Him, and in the parallel one evildoer scoffs at Him. And centrally in ‘d' is the verdict of Rome, ‘This is the King of the Jews'.