Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"

Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!" So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

- Mark 15:12-21

Yesterday, we read about the chief priests and their decision to condemn Jesus. They took Him to Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea. Pilate asked, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied to him, "It is as you say" or "You say so" -- an indirect confirmation of His identity. But He would answer nothing else to the charges the chief priests kept asserting. Pilate marveled at Jesus' silence to the repeated charges. It was the custom on the day of the feast to release one prisoner to the crowd. Among the prisoners was Barabbas, a nationalist rebel who had committed murder during the rebellion against Roman rule. But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!" My study bible notes that this crowd, "stirred up by the Jewish leaders, is quite likely a crowd of their own supporters hastily gathered in the early morning." We recall their decision was made in an extra-legal session, at night -- then hastily officially confirmed in the morning when it was legal. The note continues, "It is probably not the same crowd which welcomed Jesus as His Triumphal Entry, nor the general populace feared by the Jewish leaders (14:2). However just days before on Palm Sunday, no doubt some of these same people had praised Him. The multitudes were always interested in Christ. Now they turn against Him. Why? The multitude is fickle. The crowd follows the crowd. It loves good teaching and prophetic insight, but avoids discipleship, suffering and perseverance."

So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. We know that Pilate understands Jesus is being delivered to Him, and the chief priests are demanding condemnation to death, simply because of envy. But the crowd is stirred up, and his job as procurator or prefect is to keep order for the Empire, especially so that taxes may be collected. Because of the threat of rebellion, this essentially military man perhaps does what he considers to be expedient. But my study bible notes: "The cowardice of Pilate allows envy to have its way. How pathetic is Pilate: known in history by billions of people for his complicity, perhaps the greatest coward of all time. Scourged means flogged with a Roman whip consisting of several leather strips with small pieces of bone and lead at the tips." We remember from the accounts of Jesus' healing work that both illness and oppression by demons is represented in language that recalls suffering and torture under cruel rule. "Affliction" for example, here in the Greek is another word that also means to "scourge."

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. As with those who held Jesus after the meeting of the council, so these men also mock Jesus. A condemned man is subject to humiliation. The Praetorium is the residence of the Roman governor. My study bible notes, "The mockery by the roman soldiers includes the salute Hail, King of the Jews, a parody of the salute to Caesar. It is astonishing that the King of kings humbly condescends to be shamefully treated as a criminal. One cannot help but grieve for those who abuse Jesus, for most of them also will reject the reality of His Resurrection and His victory over sin and death." It adds, "Even in their mockery they prefigure things to come. They will bow the knee to Him once more, for 'at the name of Jesus every knee should bow' (Phil. 2:10)." What we see is a strange, sinful, awful parody of justice on all levels here. The irony of the name of Barabbas (see yesterday's reading and commentary) combines with the irony of Pilate: wanting to keep order, he releases a violent rebel who has committed murder in rebellion against Roman rule. And it is the peaceful Jesus who is to be scourged and crucified! It is a time of the world upside-down, where truth is the last thing to be served. Following the stirred-up crowds is not a sign of leadership nor heroism, not a place for true reflection and understanding and wisdom, but a place of cowardice. So often the Gospels will teach us the difference between the choice for the "praise of men" or the "praise of God." None of the leaders in this story live up to the authority vested in them, on every level. There is only One who shows true authority and leadership through all things. As for the soldiers who carry out orders and know nothing (yet) of Jesus, we will remember His words of forgiveness as He is nailed to the cross, and the depth of its truth that "they know not what they do!"

Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. The soldiers have the right to compel civilians into service. Simon is from Cyrene, a city on the coast of Libya, North Africa, where many Jews lived. He is most likely in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. My study bible says, "Simon has the unique privilege of helping the Son of God, weakened by flogging, to carry his Cross to Golgotha." Alexander and Rufus, by tradition, are considered to be early members of the Church at Rome.

Today's reading gives us great contrasts between the whims and emotional stirring up of the crowds, and the individual choices we find made around the events that concern Christ. Pilate has failed to show leadership by not honoring what he knows to be true and just. The leadership of the Jewish religious leaders is simply subject to envy and fear of displacement by Jesus. The pragmatic approach to hanging onto power, the expediency of the use of force to manipulate all circumstances is what prevails here in both cases. The whim of a stirred up crowd becomes the bottom line somehow. Can we trust a mob to make good decisions? Or must we look to our hearts for something which takes into account wisdom, deliberation, justice, truth? And there is the personal moment in which Simon of Cyrene is compelled to help Jesus carry His cross. We know that by this touch, this connection, his family will play a role in the Church (as we note the mention of his sons). And so we will also read of the words of the centurion at Jesus' death. Somewhere in this story of injustice and evil, we must come to understand the deeply personal and its power to help us to make good choices. What is the truth that we find in our hearts? Do we simply follow the crowd? The bottom line of popularity, or this week's opinion of the crowds, cannot be a good marker for good judgment, or wisdom for good leadership. We see how easily a mob can be manipulated for any purpose. There must be something more. As we delve into the personal here, we must also understand the power of the personal at work within us, through relationship, even through touch and circumstances. We just don't know what the power of a touch or an encounter can bring, what its fruits will be. But we do know the power of what is in the depths of our hearts, and an honest encounter there with truth. How do we make good choices? What kind of leadership comes from an encounter with truth? How do the love and compassion of Christ, the things which embody His kingdom, teach us what good choices and good leadership really are? Let us consider now the power of that love and that kingdom, and where it rules in our hearts, and what it can bring to the world when we make good choices.