Crucify Him, crucify Him!

 

 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them,  "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people.  And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and release Him" (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).  And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" -- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.  Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.  But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"  Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done?  I have found no reason for death in Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."  But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified.  And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.  So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.  And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will. 

 

- Luke 23:13–25 

 

Yesterday we read that the whole multitude of those who had arrested Jesus 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 in 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 one another.   

 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them,  "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people.  And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and release Him" (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).  And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" -- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.  Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.  But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"  Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done?  I have found no reason for death in Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."  But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified.  And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.  So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.  And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.  My study Bible notes on today's passage that three times Pilate attempts to release Jesus (verses 16, 20, 22), and three times the chief priests and the rulers incite the people to demand that Christ be put to death.  Finally, my study Bible says, they demand the release of a rebel like themselves.  Barabbas means "son of the father."  My study Bible comments that this indicates to which father these rulers belong -- the devil, as Jesus stated in John 8:44.

Time and again throughout history, humankind is witness to the actions of crowds.  We pay special attention to crowds which have been stirred up by leaders and their servants with ulterior motives.  That is, those who vie for political power, or some sort of immediate goal of an upper hand in a matter, possibly for vengeance, or to deflect guilt from themselves.  Almost always the tool at work among the crowd is some form of hatred, and instigated at least in part through deliberate lies to instigate the crowds.  All over the world, and throughout time, we are witnesses to this kind of behavior and the injustices that result.  But in this particular scene involving Jesus Christ as victim we are given the exemplary picture of manipulation and injustice, and the ease with which crowds can be stirred to support such acts.  If there is anything that should teach us about the ease with which an injustice can happen -- and in particular at the hands of a crowd -- this scene should show us that truth.  If we look at the large political movements of the 20th century, we can see the reliance on motivation of crowds, and those skilled in manipulating hysteria, fear, and outrage.  In the Gospels, the crowds are seldom if ever correct, at best they are fickle.  St. Ambrose writes, "What kind of people crucified the Lord of glory! Those that violently demand the death of an innocent man fittingly seek the release of a murderer. Wickedness has such laws as to hate innocence and love guilt. The interpretation of the name gives the likeness of the image, because Barabbas means 'son of the father.' He belongs to those to whom it is said, 'You are of your father the devil.' They were about to choose the Antichrist as son of their father, rather than the Son of God."  This scene of Christ being condemned by the crowds, in favor of Barabbas, should be forever seared in our minds as emblematic of what it means that we live in a world plagued by evil.  When we pray the prayer to Our Father, we ask to be delivered from evil.  In the original Greek, the word translated "from evil" is πονηρου/ponerou.  The base of this word is πονηρος/poneros, which gives a closer translation as "from the evil one."  The root is πονος/ponos, a word that means "evil" and its cognates such as "bad," or "wicked."   But this word also means "pain" (and is still used this way in modern Greek) or "laborious trouble, toil."  It therefore emphasizes the agony that comes with evil.  What we see in the crowd emphasizes all of these manifestations of what evil is and means:  they call for the destruction of the good, the crucifixion and pain of the innocent, and rant for injustice, the persecution of the One who has done only good.  They rally in service to lies, where even Pilate, Herod, the thief on the cross, and the centurion all recognize Christ as innocent.   Exodus 23:2 teaches, "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice."   Here in the crowds in today's reading, we see the full manifestation of such evil. There's another word we could look at in the Greek of the Gospel reading, and that is the word translated as "crowd."  There are different words in Greek to describe crowds, and this one would be more accurately translated as "mob," or "throng."  There is no order here, no discipline of justice (even for the period).  Let us remember what this looks like when the rage of crowds is manipulated to make scapegoats of the innocent among us.

Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?

 Now Jesus stood before the governor.  And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you say."  And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.  Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?"  But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wishes.  And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.  Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you?  Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"  For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.  While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."  But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.  The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"  They said, "Barabbas!"  Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"  They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"  Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"

- Matthew 27:11-23

Yesterday we read that when morning came (after Christ's night trial in the home of the high priest, and Peter's denial that he knew Him outside in the courtyard), all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.  And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.  Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  And they said, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood."  And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."

Now Jesus stood before the governor.  And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you say."  And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.  Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?"  But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.  My study bible points out that the chief priests hide their real charge against Jesus (which was a claim of equality with God, ruled blasphemy by the council), because this would not persuade the governor, Pilate, to sentence Christ to death.  Instead they present a charge of treason -- enough to convict Him for capital punishment -- by saying that Jesus had called Himself the King of the Jews.  This constituted a challenge to Roman rule, and so would carry the death sentence.  No wonder Pilate marveled greatly that Jesus says nothing in reply to the accusations of the chief priests and elders.

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wishes.  And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.  Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you?  Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"  For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.  While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."  But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.  The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"  They said, "Barabbas!"  Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"  They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"  Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"  In another twist of irony and strangeness that characterizes this time of evil typified by truth hidden and twisted to appear as something other, Barabbas bears a name that means "son of the father."   While Jesus is the true Son of the Father, and has been accused of deserving death because He has said so, the crowds are persuaded by the chief priests and elders to choose Barabbas instead.   In so doing, the religious leaders show which father they themselves belong to:  the devil (John 8:44, Matthew 23:15).  My study bible points out that Pilate, understanding that Christ was an innocent Man, and handed over because of envy, tries three times to save Jesus.  But each time he is refuted through the encouragement of the religious leaders.

This conflict of the choice between one "son of the father" and Christ the Son of the Father gives us a picture of what evil does in the world.  It is even a picture of the nature of the anti-Christ in some sense, and also the way that heresy works.   In the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43), the tares (or inedible weeds) so closely resemble the wheat and are so closely planted among them that it is better to wait until the harvest to separate them the true from the false grain.  In the choice between Barabbas and Christ, the false son somehow resembles the true Son, and the people are required to discern what is true.  In this case, misled by false rulers, they choose the false son of the father, pursuing nationalist impulses rather than truly religious or spiritual choices for salvation.  Barabbas is an insurrectionist, held for seeking the overthrow of the Romans, and so his means of salvation and liberation for the people is one of material violence.  But as Christ tells Pilate in John's Gospel, Christ's kingdom is not of this world, and therefore His servants do not fight (John 18:36).  It's striking how the corrupt religious leadership bears out the hallmarks attributed to them by Christ:  they are false prophets, wolves in sheep's clothing, the blind who lead the blind in this crowd (15:14).  Most of all, what we see on display is their hypocrisy (see chapter 23), as they relish their positions as religious leaders, and yet bring Christ to the Gentiles to be crucified on false charges out of envy.  They themselves form one more misleading appearance as spiritual guides, while Christ, the Man on trial, is the true Shepherd.  Such is the time of choice, and the way evil works in the world:  not so much through a clear image or message, but one that appears to be nominally "good" and for good reasons, and yet has the impact and motivation of ravening wolves (7:15).   Surely this choice is obvious to some, and scandalizes many, but the mob under persuasion of corrupt and hypocritical leaders walks a blind path that will lead to destruction in the eventual Siege of Jerusalem by the Romans.  Let us consider for ourselves the blindness that might be present at this moment in our own societies, problems that require a truly spiritual solution, but are posed instead by false leaders as purely political.  We might also see for ourselves leaders who are nominally "good" and say they seek peace, and especially liberation of the oppressed -- but who nevertheless mysteriously condone and ignore violence, and in particular violence inflicted among the poor who suffer the most from their "solutions."  Jesus has already told His followers, just before He goes to His death, that our job as His disciples is to remain awake and alert, to watch and pray, and to endure in His commandments -- even through all the evil we may see, and right to the end.  He has warned us that we are to beware of false prophets.   Let us not be the blind who follow the blind.  We are meant to be discerning, to know what we are about, and to obey only the voice of our Shepherd and His true servants who love His sheep.