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Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "It is as you say." So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault this Man." But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."
When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.
- Luke 23:1-12
It is Holy Week in Jerusalem, the week of Passover. Jesus has had the Last Supper with His disciples, in which He instituted the Eucharist, taught them about leadership among them, and warned them of things to come. He was betrayed by Judas and arrested. He was also denied by Peter after His arrest. In yesterday's reading, we were told that the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him. As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." And they said, What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."
Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." My study bible tells us that these false accusations seek to label Jesus a political Messiah and a threat to Roman rule.
Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "It is as you say." So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault this Man." But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place." A note reads, "The Greek behind it is as you say can also be translated 'you say so,' as an ambiguous answer. Jesus is the King of the Jews, but not in a political sense. Pilate's response shows he does not take the political charge seriously." "You say" is literally what Jesus says in the Greek. Perhaps it could be translated also as "That's what you say." Clearly, Jesus hasn't ever sought to be a worldly king; indeed when people sought to make Him king, He avoided them. In John's Gospel, He says, "My kingdom is not of this world." My study bible points out what is obvious by Pilate's answer. He's at once extremely suspicious of what he's being told. The real motive behind the charge is clear in the words of the leadership, that Jesus "stirs up the people." The people are stirred by Jesus' ministry in ways that displease the religious leadership, which they consider a threat to their power. It is something they wish to suppress by ridding themselves of Jesus.
When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. My study bible says, "Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, as a way of either gaining favor or getting rid of an unwanted case."
Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. This is very interesting, because it's consistent with the character of Herod about which we've read elsewhere. He also exhibited the same curiosity about John the Baptist. It's almost a childish curiosity, a primitive response or understanding of Christ's holiness: "he hoped to see some miracle done by Him."
Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. Jesus fails to comply with the request for a miracle, and is treated with contempt. In all ways, we understand Jesus not to "cast His pearls before swine." He has refused to answer in a "court" that would not fairly hear Him (in yesterday's reading). He will not perform a miracle for the merely curious, even if it is to save His own life.
That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other. My study bible tells us, "The two cruel and cunning enemies reconcile by sharing in the mistreatment of the innocent Jesus, a tragic footnote on human sinfulness." It's a great large and glaring footnote: the whole of the Gospel, our Cross itself, is a teaching about scapegoating, reversing the process of a common worldly practice in many cultures, and in our own individual psychology -- and teaching us about truth and justice and innocence.
It's interesting to think of the Cross in terms of scapegoating. In John's Gospel, Caiaphas (the high priest that year) says that "it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." Caiaphas' idea is that this death will bring all the people together. In psychology the word "projection" is used when one either fails to see one's own problems and therefore "projects" them onto others, seeing in other what we fail to see in ourselves, or when we, too, decide we will somehow exclude or harm someone else instead of paying attention and taking responsibility for our real problems. This is often the root of the phenomenon of bullying. Earlier in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has told His followers, "How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye." We could think of the Cross itself as two great "planks" telling us about our own failure to look to our own responsibilities, our inner lives, check our motivations and take responsibility for who we are before our Creator. This is the great message of the Cross, and of Jesus' death on the Cross. Even a corrupt man like Pilate can see that Jesus is innocent of the charges that are brought against Him. But everyone's got their own motive: the leadership wants to cling to its own power, Herod Antipas like an infantile spoiled child wants miracles to be performed on demand, Pilate's ultimate concern is his power or position in the Roman hierarchy. Ultimately the failures of each of these people comes down to a failure to put God first; when we are face to face with God, we must come to terms with our own failings and how we can be doing better. Like the publican in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, we're at our best when we're face to face with God and honestly seeking whatever is pleasing in God's sight, even if that's merely to be aware of our failures and where we're going to try to improve. Otherwise we run the great, tremendous risk of the catastrophe of our blindness, acted out in harming the innocent, enmeshing us in a deeper and more tragic sin, with greater consequences. Let us note that the parable also teaches us that it doesn't matter whether we are in name and appearances a pious person or not! A material-minded perspective, one that cannot truly recognize the benefits of humility before God, that does not take into account our own capacity to become "God-like" as part of this great mission of Jesus, cannot appreciate His ministry. Like the Sanhedrin that didn't want to hear what Jesus had to say and would not allow Him a proper defense, like Pilate who sends Christ to Herod, like Herod who merely wants to be shown a display of power, the totally materially-minded perspective is in all events self-centered. A God-centered perspective means we take into account so much more, and ultimately that we understand that we ourselves are capable of so much more. Let us remember the Cross and the plank in our own eye! In all ways, Jesus' life -- and death -- are a gift to us. Let us take the gift and distribute it well! Let us also remember when we are victims of such practice, that Christ's truth is not in appearances, but also in our relationship to God. Awareness of projection also means we don't wait to solve all our problems by dependence upon changing others. Like Christ, we may be asked for acceptance of the things we cannot change in others, and the grace to go through it as God asks.
