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Now 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."
- Luke 22:63-71
In recent readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem. He has been betrayed by Judas, after having spoken to His disciples of what was to come (and also Peter's denial). At His arrest, Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now 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. Here is the humiliation of the Lord at the hands of the people who seized Him. The crass command to "Prophesy!" tells us about the nature of those who cannot comprehend the things of God.
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." My study bible points out that the official sessions of the council could take place only by daylight. Elsewhere in the Gospels, we read of an illegal night court. Luke reports what is consistent here with other Gospels, in the content of this discussion. Jesus responds truthfully about the illegality of this trial: they will not allow Him to examine anyone, a proper defense. Neither will they consider letting Him go if an honest inquiry finds Him innocent. They are not seeking the truth nor justice. A note says that "to sit on the right hand of the power of God signifies Christ's equality with God the Father." Of the Sanhedrin's summary condemnation of Jesus, Cyril of Alexandria cites Exodus 23:7: "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked." They are violating their own law.
To consider Jesus' humiliation is to consider what it is to be treated beneath one's dignity, in all ways. All laws of innocence and truth are violated here. As Jesus points out Himself, nothing involving this "trial" is on the up and up. There is no search for honesty, for testimony, no allowance of this prisoner and the accused to make His own defense. Certainly there is nothing they can point to that He has done to make Him worthy of what they are about to do. Moreover they allow the soldiers to ridicule Him in the most degrading way. To treat any person revered as a holy man, a Teacher in the temple, and one who has done so much to bring God (and so many good things of God) to others is a base act under any circumstances. To consider Jesus' own nature and identity is to understand the true injustice that permeates our world and that we must always be on guard against. The greatest and most beautiful of realities may shine in our world, only to have those who refuse to see sling the basest mud and vulgarity at it. Most commentators tell us of Jesus' surpassing patience; His extraordinary grace. This is evident to all of us. He has accepted what must be. But He doesn't stop speaking the truth. He says what is necessary; He tells the Sanhedrin of the laws they are violating. The basic search for truth and justice is not here. And in this dual pose of both extraordinary grace and exacting truth we find the great figure that is Christ. His forbearance is extraordinary, and yet His forthrightness is also a component of that peace and grace. When there are times and experiences in our own lives in which we taste of some of the elements we read here, let us remember not only Jesus' forbearance and courage, but also the strength in His identity. He will never give over to a lie. His stand is with God. To carry this through our lives is a tremendous lesson. It would be one the early Church would imitate. Let us remember that to be true to who we are, to our Creator, is to respond to life with the fullness of truth we can bring to it, in all ways and circumstances.
