Hail, King of the Jews!

 

 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 

 

- Matthew 27:24-31 

 

On Saturday, we read about Jesus brought to trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.   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 wished.  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!"   

 "When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  My study Bible has a comment on verse 25, regarding the people's answer, "His blood be on us and on our children."  It notes that this verse has been used by certain groups to try to justify persecuting Jews, which is a grave and terrible sin.  It notes that what was seen by many as a curse is in fact a blessing which is invoked unwittingly, for Christ's blood is the source of everyone's redemption.  These words are implicitly spoken by anyone who sins.  My study Bible adds that St. John Chrysostom teaches that even those these particular Judeans under the coercion of the religious leaders "acted with such madness, so far from confirming a sentence on them or their children, Christ instead received those who repented and counted them worthy of good things beyond number."  Additionally, St.  Chrysostom goes on to note the thousands who were converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) as evidence of Christ's mercy.  

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  My study Bible states that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is mockery, it is again prophetic that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, where Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ's redemptive work).  This mockery shows Christ as the One despised and rejected by human beings and bears the iniquity of all of us (see Isaiah 53:3-9).  My study Bible notes also that Jesus is clothed in scarlet, which represents both His royalty and also the sins of humanity which He has taken upon Himself. 

My study Bible comments on verse 25, containing the curse "His blood be on us and on our children."   First noting that it's a great and terrible sin to use this as an excuse to persecute Jews, it adds importantly that this is an unwitting blessing.  It's important, to begin with, that we understand the important thing here is not exactly who is to blame for crucifying the innocent Christ.  Pilate seeks to wash his hands of the mess, but he can't evade his responsibility as governor for this decision.  Neither can the people who shout for Christ's crucifixion nor the religious leaders who exhort them to do so, and have presented Jesus to Pilate as a kind of fait accompli to have Him executed as a criminal.  All of them know that He is, in Pilate's words, a just Person.  What becomes really important is, first of all, everyone's capacity for repentance and thereby the receipt of Christ's saving grace.  What is also strikingly notable about this passage is a sort of crazy inversion of truth -- or perhaps we might call it truth hiding in plain sight.  What is meant as a curse is actually an invocation of a blessing, an unwitting statement of the power of Christ's blood to redeem and to save, to cast away sin and grant life.  His is the blood of the Passover but magnified to an eternal and truly universal sense of saving life.   The mocking scarlet robe given to Christ, and also the soldiers' ridiculing salute, "Hail, King of the Jews!" are also examples of the strange inversion of truth.  What is meant in derision is actually profound truth, again hiding in plain sight, obscured by terribly evil circumstances.   And the horrific evil we witness, of the ultimate Innocent knowingly unjustly condemned, abandoned, and given to torture and the most heinous form of punishment, is also a kind of strange inversion of truth.  For if we take it at its face value, and without the Resurrection that will follow, then all we see is a terrible monstrous evil.  But God will use even this as the foundation for the salvation of an entire created order, a whole universe, and grace abounding in all and through all things, and for all time.  This Christ knows and so willingly has gone to His death, with full knowledge He may be a stumbling block, and knowing the free will of people to reject what He has done and so reject their salvation.  But where He goes, He goes for us -- and in so doing, He proclaims the love of God for all.

Hail, King of the Jews!

 

 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 

 

- Matthew 27:24-31 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus stood before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.  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 wished.  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!"   

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  My study Bible comments on the cry of the people, "His blood be on us and on our children."  It says that this verse has been used by certain groups to try to justify persecuting Jews, which is a grave and terrible sin.  What was seen by many as a curse here is actually, in fact, properly understood as a blessing which is unwittingly invoked, for it is the Lord's blood that is the source of our redemption.  Moreover, these words are implicitly spoken by anybody who sins.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that although this crowd stirred by the Jewish religious leaders "acted with such madness, so far from confirming a sentence on them or their children, Christ instead received those who repented and counted them worthy of good things beyond number."  He then notes the thousands who were converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) as evidence of Christ's mercy.  

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.   My study Bible comments here that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention was mockery, it is another ironically prophetic act that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, where Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ's redemptive work).  This mockery, it says, shows Jesus as the One despised and rejected by human beings who bears the iniquity of all of us (see Isaiah 53:3-9).  Jesus is clothed in scarlet, which represents both His royalty and the sins of humanity which He has taken upon Himself.  

As we approach the Cross, the ironies build.  The looks that appear to deceive continue to build up.  We first had Barabbas, whose name means "son of the father" who was chosen by the crowd for mercy in the place of the true Son of the Father, Jesus, whom Pilate tried three times to save (see Saturday's reading and commentary).  In today's reading, the ironies multiply.  The crowd calls down on itself what is intended as a kind of curse.  But viewed through the lens of the Cross and through the faith of Jesus Christ, what they call out is a blessing.  We know that we are cleansed and redeemed through the blood of Christ which this crowd calls down upon itself, as my study Bible points out.  At the heart of Christianity is the understanding that the Incarnate Christ, both God and Man, heals all things precisely through this union in Himself of every component of our lives and our world with the divine.  He has taught us that in the Eucharist we mystically partake of His body and blood, and that this is done ultimately for our own healing, in every dimension, to cleanse what needs cleansing, to transform what needs transforming, to uplift what needs uplifting, to redeem and to bring ultimate peace and goodness.  This is the crux of our faith:  that all must be assumed by Christ for the purpose of salvation, of ultimate healing.  This is how we have to see our faith.  So the crowd inadvertently asks for His healing and salvation.  As the ironies continue, He is also treated as a king.  All of this is meant to mock, but it tells the truth in spite of those intentions.  For He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14).  So the Roman soldiers also inadvertently tell us a truth, despite their intentions to deride Jesus their prisoner destined for crucifixion.  In the compounding of ironies here, all of the intentions to subvert the truth are, in effect, displaying that truth in plain sight.  But, of course, one must know where to look -- and, most importantly, how to look.  One must look with the lens of faith.  For this is the only way to know revelation.  Hence, Christ's words are continually true as this story unfolds:  the one way to remain true to truth is to watch and pray (Matthew 26:41).  As Jesus said to Peter regarding our human condition, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  We're subject to temptations such as fear and terror; the unthinkable images described in these scenes -- without faith -- would have doomed the Church to failure without it.  The greatest "irony" of all is to come, the Cross.  And yet it is the Cross that saves, the ultimate sign of the transfiguring healing power of God.

Hail, King of the Jews!

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Icon of Christ the Bridegroom.  On the right we read in Greek, "Behold the Man!"

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. 

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 

- Matthew 27:24-31

 On Saturday, we read that after the chief priests and elders had given Him over to the Roman state, Jesus stood before the governor, Pilate.  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!"

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  We notice Pilate's clearly stated opinion regarding Jesus.  However, he gives in to the crowds and the agitation of the religious leadership.  My study bible remarks on the people's answer to Pilate ("His blood be on us and our children") that this verse has been used by certain groups to try to justify persecution of Jews, which is a grave and terrible sin.  What was seen by many as a curse is in fact a blessing which is unwittingly invoked:  Christ's blood is the source of redemption.  Moreover, the same words, it says, are implicitly spoken by anyone who sins.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that although this crowd "acted with such madness, so far from confirming a sentence on them or their children, Christ instead received those who repented and counted them worthy of good things beyond number."  St. Chrysostom then also goes on to note the thousands of Jews converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) as evidence of Christ's mercy.  Christians are constantly reminded that Judgment is in the hands of God; moreover, each of us could be a member of such a crowd, and we are taught by Christ to be on guard against the possibility of false leaders (24:5).

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  My study bible comments here that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is to mock Christ, it is nevertheless prophetic that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, where Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ's redemptive work).  The mockery of Christ shows Him as the One who is despised and rejected by human beings, but who bears the iniquity of all of us (see Isaiah 53:3-9).   Jesus is clothed in scarlet; according to my study bible this represents both His royalty and also the sins of humanity which He has taken upon Himself. 

How would you endure mockery or humiliation for the sake of those you loved?  Or for the sake of those who might come after -- and be saved through faith?  It is poignant at this stage to recall Christ's question in Luke's Gospel, when He asks, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).  We could infer from this question that even at this moment of mockery and humiliation, and as He goes to His death, being sentenced by the crowd to be crucified, that even now at the moment when He faces death He cannot be certain that the faith for which He puts His life on the line will be received by the people of the world.  So, even though He cannot be certain that at His Second Coming He will find faith on the earth, He still goes as the Father has commanded.  He still follows the plan for salvation for all people of this world, to bring people back into communion with God.  Let us remember what John's Gospel has told us, that all of this happens "for God so loved the world."  Christ endures mocking, scourging, suffering, and crucifixion for the sake of love, for those whom He loves, and we are those whom he loves.  If there are ever times when we doubt the reality of God's love for us, of Christ's love for us, all we need to do is to revisit this scene, and re-read the story of what He goes through for love of us.  Possibly we can't relate to His great sacrifice of love unless we also have those whom we love and are willing to suffer for, such as a child, a spouse, a parent, or a true friend.  Possibly soldiers on the battlefield come to understand something of what it means to suffer for those whom you love, even to lose one's life for one's friends.  We have to come to terms with Christ's love for us and His sacrifice for us by reckoning with the power of that love, and by accepting the tremendous sacrifice He was willing to endure so that we would be saved in His love.  Surely, in considering the power in His sacrifice for love, we can come to terms with our deep need for Him and for what He offers us.  What will the world sacrifice for you?  Who will always go to the mat for you, and face the struggle of enduring humiliation, scorn by His own people, mockery, suffering, death?  Do you know someone who would do that for you?  Yes, at the top of the list there is this One, this Jesus who is the Christ, our Savior, who endured all of this for you and for me.  He is the One who most certainly loves us.  He is the One who is worthy of all of our trust, as He is loyal right down the line.  When the world does not offer alternatives for trust and love, let us turn to Him, for He is always calling us into communion.  He is always ready to lead, to teach us how to live, to show us the way -- for He has already endured everything for the sake of saving our lives to be with Him and to have life more abundantly.  As we read that Jesus is led away to be crucified, let us ask ourselves where could we find greater love?   Above is posted the icon known as Christ the Bridegroom, for Christ the prisoner is our Bridegroom.  He is bound to us in love, making all sacrifice for His Bride, the Church, even to suffer humiliation.  This is also the icon of marriage, and the tremendous humility of deep love.  When we feel the world does not love, let us remember there is One who has loved us so much that He gave His life that we might live and be with Him.

I am innocent of the blood of this just Person

 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. 

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

- Matthew 27:24-31

On Saturday, we read that Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate.  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 wished.  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!"

 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.   That all the people answered Pilate and said, "His blood be on us and on our children" has been used by certain groups to justify persecuting Jews, which my study bible calls a grave and terrible sin.  In fact, what many may have seen as a curse is an unwittingly invoked blessing -- the Lord's blood is the source of their redemption.  Moreover, my study bible says, these words are implicitly spoken by anyone who sins.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that even though these Jews "acted with such madness, so far from confirming a sentence on them or their children, Christ instead received those who repented and counted them worthy of good things beyond number."  Furthermore, according to my study bible, Chrysostom additionally notes the thousands who were converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) as evidence of Christ's mercy.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.   My study bible notes here that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is to mock Jesus, it is, in fact, prophetic that He is crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, in which Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ's redemptive work).  The mockery on display here shows Jesus as the One despised and rejected by human beings who bears the iniquity of all (see Isaiah 53:3-9).  He is clothed in scarlet, representing both Jesus' royalty and the sins of humanity which He has taken upon Himself. 

In Saturday's reading and commentary, we noted the peculiar sort of "mirroring" that the scenes of Jesus' trial and punishment seem to invoke.  Barabbas means "son of the father" and Jesus is the true "Son of the Father."  Barabbas, whom the crowds prefer, is seen as liberator and redeemer in his role as brigand or rebel outlaw, but Christ is our true Redeemer of all, in whom is the true continuation of Israel, the "people of God" who would be comprised out of all the nations of the world (Psalm 22:27-28).  Here in today's reading, revelations abound where they are not meant and are inadvertent.  The people in this crowd stirred up for Jesus' crucifixion by the leadership call for Christ's blood to "be on us and our children."  But they quite literally "know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).   In effect they are calling for their own redemption in unwittingly speaking of the power of the blood of Christ.   Unknown to us may be many who participated in this scene who later came to follow Christ.  The soldiers of the Roman guard of the governor mock Christ.  They call Him King and dress Him in a scarlet robe.  They "bowed the knee" before Him.  They don't know that He is the One to whom "every knee shall bow" (Isaiah 45:23), but the Gospel tells us that among them there is a leader, a centurion, who will come to faith before these events finish (27:54).  In the changes that would eventually come to the Roman Empire, it is perhaps the faith of so many of its soldiers that made the greatest difference in the eventual establishment of the religion of "New Rome" as that of Christ.  Although the images of Christ's persecution, humiliation, and sentencing are perversions of justice and of truth, the truth of Who Christ is remains hidden in plain sight, so to speak.  The twisting of truth cannot entirely prevail over the identity of Christ and the Truth that He is and brings (John 14:6).  This is important for us to remember:   that lies cannot really change what actually is.  Regardless of the attempts of evil to pervert this truth, despite injustice, deliberate lies and manipulation, envy that would destroy even the Son of God and His followers, the truth remains.  People may be deceived, and lies may be told, the truth "officially" banished, but the presence of this reality nevertheless remains and is present for those with faith and whose hearts will come to faith.  It is important to understand that manipulation does not have the power it seeks.  It deceives for a time, but it lacks the substance of truth, of reality.  Let us consider, then, the futility of what is before us in this scene in the Gospel.  Evil causes pain and suffering, it wastes the time of our lives, it seeks to delude, it uses sleight of hand to deceive and to create a false allure.  But Christ's truth will prevail.   Faith will not be dissolved; far from it (Romans 8:28).  The people who call down a curse actually call down a blessing.  The truth is there, and it always will be.  It is only lost to those who are blind and do not wish to see.

And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

- Matthew 27:24-31

In our recent readings, it is Holy Week, and Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He has been betrayed by Judas, tried in a night court before the whole Council, and given over to Pilate.  We read of the three-time denial of Peter, and Judas' suicide.  On Saturday, we read that 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 wished.  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 the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!" 

 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.   My study bible points out that this verse in which the people say, "His blood be on us and on our children" has been used in the past by certain groups to try to justify persecuting Jews, which is a "grave and terrible sin."  In fact, the traditional way the Church views this is that what was seen by many as a curse is in effect a blessing invoked unwittingly!  It is Christ's blood that is the source of redemption in the sight of Christians.  In addition, it says, these words are implicitly spoken by anyone who sins.  St. Chrysostom teaches that, in effect, regardless of the state of mind that prevailed in the crowd at this time, rather than bringing a curse Christ instead received any who repented and "counted them worthy of good things beyond number."  On the day of Pentecost thousands were converted (Acts 2:41); St. Chrysostom views this as abundant evidence of Christ's mercy.  

 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  Again, although the intention is one thing, there is prophecy here in these actions.  My study bible says that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  It is prophetic that Jesus is crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, where Caiaphas, despite his intention, prophesies of Christ's redemptive work).   Christ truly bears the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-9), despised and rejected and mocked in this scene.  Jesus is clothed in a scarlet, representing both His royalty and also the sins of humanity He has taken on Himself (and which were placed upon Him by the sinful).   However, in Orthodox iconography, red is also the color of life itself, of divinity.  In Mark's Gospel, it's said this robe is purple.  But in essence, it's the same; the shade of royal robes in the East was tyrian purple, an expensive dye which created a red-purple color. 

 On Saturday, we discussed the ironies of Christ's situation:  Pilate sat in the judgment seat to pass judgment on the Judge of all.  Barabbas means "son of the father" -- the crowd chose its true "son" of its true "father" over the Son of the Father.  We remind ourselves that in another Gospel, Pilate asks the Truth, "What is truth?"  (John 18:38).  In today's reading, Jesus is mockingly hailed as King of the Jews.  He's dressed in a royal red robe, symbolic of divinity, even as He's spat upon.  Everything comes together in a mixed tale of good and evil, a bizarre mix of truth and lies, where one seems as true as the other.  He is the Truth Himself in the midst of lies and deceit; the mocking and insults are lies, the charge is a lie, the witnesses lie.  And yet, there is the truth that He is King, there is the truth that He is the Son of God, there is the truth that He will build His "temple" back up in three days after it is destroyed.  In a symbolic sense, it reminds us of Jesus' parable of the Wheat and the Tares.  The tares are weeds that resemble the wheat.  The same is true of heresy, where something sounds good and convincing but in effect is a misleading lie.  There is a lesson in how appearances are deceiving, and can be used to represent "truth" that is nothing but.  Manipulation, being evil, takes the place of truth, of that which gives us what we really need.   Manipulation leads us down a bad road; truth takes us where we really need to go for what's best for us.  Within all of this disturbing confusion is the heart of why "proofs" of faith are never given by Christ, signs on demand are not where He will go.  It is only in the heart of faith that true discernment can take us in this situation, and faith doesn't and can't work by "proofs."  False witnesses can be drummed up, and juries can be rigged, people can be coerced.  But it takes a different kind of seeing and knowing to be aware of what is happening here.  Proofs are not what we rely on for faith; they're not good enough.  What do we do in the midst of such confusion and lies and manipulation?  We endure.  We give thanks to God and stay in the place of prayer.  We watch and pray, staying vigilant as He has taught.   There are times in life, and times we can see in all of history, when similar effects repeat themselves:  when black is white and white is black, when the good are evil and the evil are good.  We may find ourselves caught up in a such a situation, as spectator or victim, or even willingly or unwillingly a perpetrator. We remember His words, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  Christ becomes victim on whom is projected the whole world's sin.  The One who emptied Himself to become human now condescends to the place of abject misery, "taking on our sins" in this sense that they're placed upon Him even as the soldiers spit.  But in this strange time is the stranger solution of God.  He will trample down death by death; He will offer salvation by His sacrifice, by going through what is happening and meeting it His way.  The question is how will we understand that truth or receive it?   How do we truly know the Truth who is a Person?   He so truly knows us, loves us, forgives us.  And we know Him through love.

Hail, King of the Jews!

 When Pilate saw that He could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they put the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 

- Matthew 27:24-31

On Saturday, we read of Jesus standing before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.  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 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 wished.  And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.  Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to the, "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!"

 When Pilate saw that He could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  My study bible points out that this verse, in which the people answer and state His blood be on us and on our children, has been used by certain groups to try to justify persecuting Jews -- which is a "grave and terrible sin."  It says, "What was seen by many as a curse is in fact a blessing invoked unwittingly, for the Lord's blood is the source of their redemption.  Furthermore, these words are spoken implicitly by anyone who sins.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that even though these particular Jews 'acted with such madness, so far from confirming a sentence on them or their children, Christ instead received those who repented and counted them worthy of good things beyond number.'  He then notes the thousands who were converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) as evidence of Christ's mercy."

  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they put the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  My study bible notes, "Every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Even though the intention was mockery, it is prophetic that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, where Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ's redemptive work).  This mockery shows Jesus as the One despised and rejected by men who bears the iniquity of us all (see Isaiah 53:3-9).  Jesus is clothed in scarlet, representing both His royalty and the sins of humanity which He has taken upon Himself." 

As we noted on Saturday, this is the territory of a world turned upside down, or inside out, whatever way we want to think of it.  In today's reading, Jesus is sentenced, scourged, mocked.  The crowd calls out "His blood be on us" as Pilate states, ceremonially washing his hands, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man."  Jesus is clothed in red, as He will be depicted in icons through the centuries, to denote His divinity - a color of royalty ("royal purple" or porphyra in the Greek -- which was really a type of deep reddish purple - see image here).  This purple does indeed resemble a color of blood.  But it seems to me that this is a peculiar picture of people who both declare themselves innocent (Pilate), and also declare a kind of guilt that extends to their descendants (the stirred-up crowd).  It is in Ezekiel that a false proverb is rebuked, which declares that children suffer guilt for their parents' sins (see Ezekiel 18:1-4).  This belief is rebuked in several places in the Old Testament, and again the proverb is mentioned negatively by Jeremiah.  In either case, God remains judge of all of us.  We don't judge of ourselves, we can't judge ourselves.  This is the sin also of Judas, in his suicide.  It is the One mocked and scourged, clothed in the royal scarlet, the One held by a whole garrison of soldiers, with crown of thorns on His head -- the One who is sentenced to a horrible death of crucifixion:  He is the One who will judge, who is the true Judge of hearts.  Whatever we think we see in this scene, it is His blood that saves us, which He gives voluntarily, which we take in the Eucharist so that He is part of us and we are part of Him, His Body in this world.  Let us consider what this means:  in some sense, we are up there with Him, and in another sense, we are in those crowds that need Him, what He is offering even in His sacrifice.  A patient God, One who extends mercy even in this situation, who asks for repentance so that we may join Him -- this is the picture we see. His royal robe clothes all of us, just as He gave us the image of His wish to be like a hen who protects all her children under her wings, as He gazed over Jerusalem before entering (Matthew 23:37).  Instead, He gave us all what we need to be bathed in this royal red-purple, the blood of His sacrifice -- the blood of His Passion and His love:  that's what we're really seeing here, symbolically, to be poured out for all of us.