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.

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 that immediately, in the morning following Jesus' night trial at the home of the high priest, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.  Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  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!"  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.  Pilate turns to the crowd, hoping to release Jesus (whom he knows to be innocent) in spite of the chief priests, but the crowd senselessly follows wherever they are stirred up to go.  My study Bible comments here that Pilate's sin was less than that of the Jewish leaders who delivered Christ to him (John 19:11), because the Jews had the Law and the prophets to instruct them, and Pilate did not.  Pilate was not without sin, however, for in his own desire to gratify the crowd, he knowingly sent an innocent Man to death.  

 

 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.  My study Bible notes here that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is to mock Christ, it is prophetic that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor.  In this understanding, see also John 11:49-51, in which Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ redemptive work.  My study Bible comments that this mockery 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 with purple, a kind of deep purple-red called porphyra/πορφύρα in Greek, which represents both His royalty and the sins of humankind which He has taken upon Himself.

 

 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.  My study Bible notes here that Mark mentions Simon as the father of Alexander and Rufus.  It notes that this is likely so because they were still living, and therefore possibly known to Mark's hearers.  It says that the spiritual message here is that we, like Simon (whose name means "obedience"), are not simply called to carry the cross which Christ sets on us.  But we are also to see Christ in others, so we are called to bear each others burdens as well (Galatians 6:2). 

Possibly the most striking thing in today's reading is the way this crowd responds so easily to being "stirred up" by the chief priests, to demand to  put Jesus to death by crucifixion.  The crowd first demands, as is the custom, that a prisoner be released to them because of the Passover feast.  But it's as if they were simply waiting for a prompt, primed by their own mood to demand and to shout.  The crowd turns into a mob, not asking for clemency for a prisoner, but now demanding the blood of Christ in the most gruesome form of punishment reserved for the worst of criminals.  "Crucify Him!" they shout.  It is as if the worst in human nature is something the chief priests know well, and use to their advantage.  For this crowd would seek not just to release someone to freedom, but to demand that another be crucified, to demand the worst punishment for someone else.  It's not clear if this crowd knows Jesus.  It's not clear if they were present on the day of the Triumphal Entry, when Christ was welcomed into Jerusalem as Messiah.  As Jesus Himself said at His arrest at night in the garden of Gethsemane, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me."  But were these people in the temple, listening to Jesus dispute with the religious leaders?  Are they pilgrims to Jerusalem for the feast?  It is hard to know, but it is easy to see what their motivations are, for as Jesus has said, "by their fruits you will know them."  We can see what they demand in the end.  This crowd is a good example of why the Church has historically taught that we ought not to be driven by our passions.  It's not that we are to be depleted of passions, but that they can so often lead us astray.  Rather, our passions, in the historical view of the Church, ought to be tempered by faith, put to use given to us by God.  St. Paul writes, "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24).   The bloodlust of the crowd is a primary example of what it is we don't want to be led by in life, of just why we seek to "crucify the flesh with its passions and desires."  The crowd essentially is led by being stirred up by these corrupt leaders who in turn are led by their own passion of envy against Christ.  While we're never told we won't feel any of these things, we're constantly counseled to cultivate a dispassion.  That is, not to be led by our passions, but to submit them to our faith, and to the cultivation of our own mastery of ourselves in service to faith, so that we won't be slaves to them.  Does this crowd know what it is doing?  Do these people understand they are demanding the Christ be crucified?  How can they understand the magnitude of the sin when they don't see the magnitude of the light of Christ's holiness and goodness for the world?  This brings us to yet another aspect of the danger of being led by passion -- they blind us to the full reality of what we do, of the things in which we engage ourselves.  We're blinded to holiness and subject only to being led by that which does not want us to be fully aware of what we're doing, and of the holiness of God who is always present to us.  For this reason the Church has throughout history (as well as Jewish spiritual tradition before us) given us ways to cultivate our own good discipline, with practices of worship and prayer, and fasting so that we learn we are capable of mastering our own passions.  We also seek to fast from sin, and the things that lead us astray.  Let us consider, especially at this time when so many passions seem to be stirring all over the world for so many reasons, how important it is to remember what we are to be about, to follow Christ's words regarding our own watchfulness (Mark 13:33, 14:38), especially in times of tribulation and fearful sights.  Our passions are that much more likely to be stirred, and we do not wish to be misled with a crowd that only follows the crowd.  Our Lord has taught us to be aware, discerning, alert -- and to be good disciples.  Let us especially remember this today, even when so many forget to do so.

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.

THE KING OF THE JEWS

 And they brought Him to Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.  Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.  And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.  Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.  And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.  So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors."  And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha!  You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, come down from the cross!"  Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe."  Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

- Mark 15:22-32

Yesterday we read that Pilate answered and said to crowds 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.

And they brought Him to Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.  Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.  And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.  Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.  And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Once again, we find truth peeking out from what was intended to be an accusation and mockery.  My study bible calls this inscription a triumphant symbol.  John's Gospel teaches us that Pilate acted to place this title on the Cross (John 19:19-22).  My study bible says that Pilate's act is prophetic, showing that the Jews had risen against their own King, and that the cross was the means by which Christ has established His Kingdom.

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.  So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors."  And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha!  You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, come down from the cross!"  Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe."  Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.  My study bible comments here that Christ being crucified between two robbers not only fulfills the Scripture (v. 28; Isaiah 53:12), but also shows that He is completely identifying with sinful humanity.  Moreover the mocking continues by members of the leadership, and yet another demand for proof that He is the Christ.  The Gospel, in its details, wishes us to understand how lowly is His worldly state:  even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake" (Matthew 5:11).  Here in today's reading, Jesus is living that teaching, first of all, before the rest of us.  He is the Master, and as He has taught also, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!" (Matthew 10:24-25).  Are we really prepared to follow in His footsteps?  The real question here is a deepening understanding of what exactly all of this means.  We understand that Christ goes to the Cross not simply "because it is written" (although true prophesy does teach us about things which will come to manifest; it does not cause those things to occur).  We understand that in all things, Christ is living faith.  That is, it is precisely as He prayed in the garden:  "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will" (see this reading).  There is a depth of reliance upon the Father and the Father's will that makes this death on the Cross bearable and possible.  In this sense, this is no ordinary crucifixion.  None of the others crucified on this or any other day transfigure the instrument of suffering to turn it into one of salvation and redemption.  There is only one Cross, and it is so precisely because of the way that Jesus lived His life and goes to His death:  His complete reliance and trust in the Father, and the subservience of His human will to God.  Fr. Stephen Freeman writes in a comment on his blog regarding our own acceptance of death and the Christian faith:  "It is not death that we desire, but union with Christ, including with His death. I think it is useful to make this distinction. Most of what the world encounters in death is precisely the enemy (death is the last enemy). It is ugly, brutal, frequently laced with meaninglessness, etc."  What we come to terms with in the death of Christ is how the Church will come to understand the death of its martyrs.  Death is transfigured through the Cross -- and most importantly, death as the final enemy, death as evil, is defeated.  This death on the Cross leads not only to Christ's Resurrection, but in that Resurrection so we are also lifted up with Him, and we may participate in this "cycle" in our own lives, wherever and whenever there is a kind of death, or encounter with evil.  When all things are given to God, even those which are nominally evil that we encounter in our lives, they are transfigured and given meaning.  We are to face them and live them through in faith and trust in God, as does Jesus.  Life is a journey.  Jesus tells us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6),  and that word for way also means "road" in Greek.  Our road might pass through all kinds of things, but if it is the road we're given through our faith, it is the road that leads us somewhere, gives all things meaning as we pass through it, and brings us only that much closer to Him.   Even in this lowliest of states Jesus enters in today's reading, all things are given meaning, and in turn that meaning is offered to us through Christ.  Let us remember such a life is also one of witnessing, for an ultimate judgment.  In the end it means the defeat of that which seeks to harm and destroy, and it is for the life of the world.  Let us also understand that our own identity is not determined by our circumstances in the world, but rather through the faith which gives all things their meaning and value.

For this saying go your way

 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then he said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."  

- Mark 7:24-37

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Jesus, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning this parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within a defile a man."

 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then he said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.  This interesting story occurs after Christ has been "visited" by a delegation of Pharisees and scribes, who criticized the fact that His disciples were not following the tradition of the elders in practices of ceremonial washing (see yesterday's reading, above).  He has gone to Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region to the north of Galilee, where He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  He has gone north into Gentile territory to withdraw from the scrutiny and conflict with the religious authorities from Jerusalem.  Where the text tells us that the Gentile woman He counters is Greek, it's indicating she was a Greek-speaker, common in this region after the major cities of Syro-Phoenicia were conquered by Alexander the Great.  Jesus is there to escape unwanted attention, but she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus' mission has been to the Jews.  In Matthew's version, He tells her, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24).  In this context He says to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs," little dogs indicating house dogs or puppies persistently begging under the table where children are being fed, an image of this woman who "keeps asking."  But her answer is feisty, and she continues -- in good Near Eastern tradition -- to "bargain" with Jesus, in a quick intelligent reply to His statement:  "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Let us note she does not contradict Him with her reply but has paid close attention; nor is her remark disrespectful but made in recognition of His authority, as she addresses Him as Lord.   He clearly approves of her attitude, as well as her apparently faith in Him, as He tells her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And indeed, her daughter has been healed, in yet another story of Christ healing from a distance, interestingly parallel as well in that it is in response to the elegant, humble, and persistent request of a Gentile capable of great faith -- the healing of the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13,Luke 7:1-10).

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."   Once again, Jesus returns to Galilee, but by way of the Decapolis, another mixed region of both Jews and Gentiles, and of Greek and Roman culture.  Here a deaf mute is brought to Christ, simply for His healing touch and seeming blessing.  In another sign of the need to shore up particular faith, Jesus took him aside from the multitude.  My study bible says that the noted detail that He sighed gives a sign of Christ's divine compassion for the sufferings of our fallen human nature.  Note how the language regarding this healing is that of liberation, freeing:  the man's ears are opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed.  Again, Jesus is still trying to avoid public attention -- most likely why He returned by way of the Decapolis and not directly to Capernaum.  But, again as found elsewhere, the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  He cannot be hidden.    And once again, the response to Christ is to be astonished.

Jesus gets away to Gentile regions -- even among the Gentiles of Tyre and Sidon -- but He cannot be hidden, as the text tells us.  He's gone to avoid the scrutiny and further immediate clashes with the religious leadership from Jerusalem, and even though He wants no one to know He's there, He meets with a Gentile woman who persistently begs Him to heal her daughter.  He goes to the Decapolis, a region of mixed Jewish and Gentile populations, and still they come to Him with people who need healing, in this case a deaf mute.  Jesus' ministry is truly like the parables He has given us about the kingdom of God:  its seeds continue to spring up seemingly without "a man" understanding how, even while He sleeps (as in this parable found only in Mark), or the sower who sows His seeds, or the leaven that changes the whole lump, and the tiniest mustard seed that sprouts a great sturdy shrub so large that the birds of the air can take refuge in it (4:30-32).  Even despite Himself, and His realistic intentions to keep hidden, to stay away from the controversies with the leadership. to tell people not to spread the news about His healings for them, the explosive and astonishing news about Him and His ministry just cannot be hidden.  People seek Him everywhere.  But this is the work of the Holy Spirit and the kingdom of God as described by His own parables, even if that growth in turn astonishes Jesus Himself.  As He said to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  Jesus seems at once in the same encounter frustrated, annoyed, delighted, and surprised at the persistence of the Gentile woman who both accepts His lordship and His rebuke and yet still in faith finds a way to continue to request His help.  He sighs in response to the sight of a deaf mute and takes time to take him aside for yet another astonishing healing -- a true prophesied sign of the presence of the Messiah (see, for example, Isaiah 29:18), which occurs not in Judea but in the mixed Greek-speaking territory of the Decapolis.  Everything about this ministry is both astonishing and can't be hidden, even contrarily to the wishes of Jesus.   And so it would continue after His crucifixion and Resurrection, to spread across the traderoads of the great Empires to the known world within the first century after Christ, just as He walks the Roman and other roads that link these territories around Israel.  What we might see as parallel to this growth is the growth of our own faith, which through the countless testimonies we encounter seemingly happens despite ourselves.   How does our own faith grow?  How did we find it?  Did we "do" something to make it happen?  Faith works in the mysterious ways that Jesus describes in His parables, and in the surprising and astonishing revelations of Scripture.  We can't plan it, it's not our plan to create.  But it is something in which we participate, and for which we need the ears to hear and eyes to see.  We need a particular spiritual perception that also may grow in us as the work of grace and Father, Son, and Spirit participating in us.  Faith itself is mysterious.  How does it happen?  Where does it come from?  It certainly springs from need, and as we can read from today's stories, it is clearly linked to persistence, springing up after a supposed setback or rejection, and hoping in the face of impediment.  By the end of Christ's ministry, we find Him stressing the need for endurance among those who would be His disciples (Matthew 24:13).  In Revelation 21, we're told, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son" (Revelation 21:7).  Let us look to the woman whose persistence and pleasing response to Christ was rewarded in today's reading, and let us learn from her!   It is not ours to decide what the work of God in our lives will be.  But it is ours to continue to pursue through all things, even as we endure whatever seems to stand in the way.

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went back and washed, and came back seeing. 

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"  Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."  Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."

- John 9:1-17

In our recent readings, Jesus has been at the Feast of Tabernacles, which is an eight-day autumn harvest feast, which commemorates the time when Israel wandered in the desert following Moses toward the Promised Land.  At that time, they lived in temporary dwellings, tents or "tabernacles."  On the last day of the feast, Jesus preached to the crowds and sparred with the leaderships.  In yesterday's reading, He replied to them, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and  was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

  Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  Today's reading incorporates the healing of a blind man; it is the sixth of seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  Of all miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one, my study bible says, in which the person was blind from birth.  The blind is a symbol of all humanity; we all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  This sign is an illustration of baptism, my study bible adds, which is called "holy illumination."  Traditionally, the lessons which follow Easter, the traditional day to receive catechumens into the the Church reflect a baptismal theology; therefore in the Eastern Church this passage is read on the Sixth Sunday of Pascha (Easter).

And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  It was a common assumption in the ancient world that all troubles and maladies are the consequence of personal sin, or even the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:29-21).   Although suffering could indeed be the direct result of personal sin, of course this is not always the case.  In this instance, as per Jesus' words, the man's blindness provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed, and it is not directly related to the man's personal sins.  This is a kind of marvel, for it reveals that sad occasions, those things associated with hardship, may be occasions -- through faith -- for God's revelation to us.  It is an important part of our understanding of theology; the Cross is the archetypal proof of such work of God.  In this light, this occasion points to the Cross.

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."  My study bible tells us that the work that people do (as revealed in John's Gospel) consists of faith (6:29), good deeds (5:29), and repentance (12:40).  The night that comes refers both to the time after a person's death and to the age to come, when there is no longer an opportunity to express faith.  According to St. John Chrysostom, on that day there will not be faith; rather, all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly.

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  This unprecedented healing of a man born blind confirms Christ's claim that He is the light of the world (see also 8:12).

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  My study bible cites St. Irenaeus here, who sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  Christ reveals His divinity by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning. 

And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went back and washed, and came back seeing.  The pool of Siloam was then on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and a considerable distance from the temple.   Water was taken from this pool for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles.  Siloam, translated, Sent, is a symbol of Christ, the One sent by the Father (5:36; 20:21).  As the healing of the blind man confirmed Christ's claim to be the light of the world (8:12), my study bible says that so also, His making use of the pool of Siloam confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it. 

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"  Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."  Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."  John's Gospel frequently illustrates through particular examples the varied responses of people to Christ.  Here is the debate, the witness, and the viewpoints of the crowds.

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."   The Pharisees are the experts, the authorities, and the people bring the formerly blind man to them.  My study bible says that just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath (5:10-16), so here many of them can't see the glory of God through their own prejudices. 

As this man blind from birth is an image of humanity (as my study bible states), so we can see, also, his gradual growth in an understanding of Christ.  Here, when He is questioned about Jesus, He states, "He is a prophet."  This is not exactly true about Christ, He is much more than a prophet.  But this man has only begun the journey of His healing.  His sight is restored, but he only knows what he has experienced.  He will need further contact and experience of Christ to understand Him better and to know Him.  And so it is also with our own journeys of faith, and even the perspective of the Church.  So much depends upon experience when it comes to spiritual insight and understanding.  Once again, in the final paragraph above, John gives us the debate that surrounds Jesus.  Some of the authorities insist upon condemnation of the Sabbath violation, while still others ask the obvious, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  Again, it is further experience that gives understanding and illumination.  We accept that we are to be in communion with Christ to truly come to know Him.  Prayer is an expression of such communion, and all the varied forms of worship in the Church are designed to help us to participate in such communion, particularly as exemplified in the Eucharist.  In prayer we seek not simply to talk to God, but to have a dialogue with God, also listening and at times in silence.  All of this is meant to give us experience as we may receive it, communion with Creator.  We are blind like the man born blind, and we seek the spiritual sight that is a gift of God, the wisdom that can come through participation in the life of God.  If prayer is encounter and dialogue, then how do you approach your time alone, in your room, with the Father who is in the secret place and who sees in secret (Matthew 6:6)?  We are like this man who has been given his sight, and we grow in illumination through our encounter with Creator, whose constant renewal of creation may be also at work in us.

Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?

 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"

- Matthew 26:57-68

Yesterday we read that while Jesus was still speaking to His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done so that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  We note Peter's native courage; he at least followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  My study bible comments that the people misunderstand Christ's words as reported in John 2:19-21.  There were some Jews who believed that the temple would be destroyed and a new one built by the Messiah.  What is indicated by Jesus' silence?  Most likely He understands the closed minds and hardened hearts of this court and these witnesses; none are interested in His truth.

And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"  Jesus responds to the command of the high priest, putting Him under oath by the living God.  Although He knows these men do not act in good faith, His respect for the institution of the high priest has always been consistent.  He quotes from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13, and confesses that He is the Messiah;  that is, He is both fully Man and fully God.  Only a divine One could sit at the right hand of the Power, and share authority with the Father.  My study bible says that this statement was clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God the Father.   For a mere human being to claim this was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16).  Christ, however, is both human and divine, and therefore this declaration of equality is not blasphemy.  Let us note the deterioration of propriety in this court, against their own Law, set first by the example of the high priest.  According to Leviticus 21:10 it is a violation of the Law for a high priest to tear his clothing (a common response to blasphemy against God).  It's an indication in the text of the open rage at work here, and the lack of honor for the office.  The mocking of gifts of prophesy and deliberate humiliation and abuse of Jesus tells us all we need to know about this court's (and their officers') respect for the things of God.

I'm always struck by the humiliating and abusive behavior in the court, and in particular toward Jesus after sentencing.  It seems somehow exceptionally blasphemous in and of itself.  Even if there were sincerity in the pronunciation of the verdict of blasphemy, to ridicule by using terms of prophesy seems particularly odious for members or officers of a court established through Mosaic Law to preserve a spiritual heritage based in prophesy.  St. Chrysostom has an extensive comment on the inclusion of these particular acts of humiliation against Jesus.  He comments with admiration on the self-restraint (in contrast to the high priest) of the disciples who carefully preserved every detail in the Gospel, and says that it clearly shows their disposition to love the truth.  He writes, "They relate with all truthfulness the things that seem to be opprobrious. They disguise nothing. They are not ashamed of anything. Rather, they account it as a very great glory, as indeed it was, that the Lord of the universe should endure to suffer such things for us. This shows both his unutterable tenderness and the inexcusable wickedness of those men who had the heart to do such things to Him that was so mild and meek."  What this does for us is several things, among which is a teaching about injustice and bullying.  If, as His followers, we are to see in Him in the face of others, then how do we see any such circumstance, in which a "mild and meek" person is treated brutally?  What do we observe if the holy things, such as prophesy, are used or abused in the service of such behavior, even to denounce one who is supposedly blasphemous?  What are we to see where forms of brutality and violence rule, even supposedly in the nominal service to what is holy?  Christ goes there for us and asks us to watch; His disciples shy away from reporting none of the humiliating details of what He voluntarily endured.  The great and transcendent truth here is that the world, regardless of its harsh treatment, cannot be the judge of our worth.  That judgment belongs only to the One who underwent this humiliation, who stands in our place and takes on all the worst that the world can offer.  Injustice is illuminated here, the doors are thrown wide open for us to observe and understand what sin really is, what giving full vent to rage and envy and selfishness can mean.  Our Lord has taken on this part to show us the truth.  Let us have the courage to follow His lead and see for ourselves this reality, living as He asks us to live and not turning a blind eye to His love that teaches us to do so.  For this is how we live the Kingdom even in this world.