Mark 15:1-15, CEB - At daybreak, the chief
priests—with the elders, legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin—formed a plan.
They bound Jesus, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of
the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” The chief priests were accusing him of many
things.
Pilate asked him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? What
about all these accusations?” But Jesus
gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled.
During the festival, Pilate released one prisoner to
them, whomever they requested. A man
named Barabbas was locked up with the rebels who had committed murder during an
uprising. The crowd pushed forward and
asked Pilate to release someone, as he regularly did. Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to
release to you the king of the Jews?” He
knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of jealousy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to
have him release Barabbas to them instead. Pilate replied, “Then what do you want me to
do with the one you call king of the Jews?”
They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done?”
They shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”
Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released
Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.
The
detail in this scene that always disturbs me the most is how the crowd turns on
Jesus. This is the crowd that only a
couple of days ago cheered Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. They marveled at His
teaching in the Temple and His putting of the religious leaders in their
place. Now, stirred by those same
religious leaders and under the watchful eye of Pilate, they cry out for Jesus’s
crucifixion. They willingly participate in
the greatest miscarriage of justice that this world has ever seen – the crucifixion
of the Son of God.
I’m actually more disappointed with
the crowd than I am Pilate or the religious leaders. Pilate at least makes an attempt at avoiding punishing
someone who is obviously guilty of nothing.
The religious leaders have convinced themselves that they are doing the
right thing by getting rid of Jesus. To
be sure, as Mark notes, their treachery also speaks to their burning jealousy
of Jesus. They are protecting what’s
theirs from this interloper. I can
understand that in a way while condemning it at the same time. The crowd however, is so easily swayed toward
this betrayal even though Jesus is no threat.
They aren’t intimidated by the Roman Governor to go along with this out
of fear. The crowd knows that Pilate has
no interest in killing Jesus. It just
seems all too easy that the religious leaders can convince a crowd to condemn
an innocent man.
I’d like to think that I’d have
been different if I had been in the crowd that day – that I would shout “injustice”
and protest vehemently. I’d like to
think that, at the very least, I would have remained silent or even walked away
so as not to give any sign that I support this travesty. But
the truth is, I will never know what I would do in this situation. What I do know about myself is that I am
capable of behavior that is at least as shameful as that of this crowd. I know this because I have committed such
behavior. There have been times when I
have been even more shocked and surprised at my own behavior than I have ever
been with this fickle crowd. I don’t
like to admit that, but not admitting that doesn’t make it any less true.
I believe that is why Mark and the other
gospel writers recall this sad event. I
believe they want us all to see ourselves as participants in this
injustice. If we were all perfectly
fine, the crucifixion would not necessary.
It we all truly understood the import of the gospel, than the gospel
would not have to include God dying on a cross.
If we all practiced love so well, than Jesus would not have had to
demonstrate what love shown to the fullest extent looks like. We are all part of “the crowd.” Jesus knew that the crowd would let Him down;
Jesus knew that we would let Him
down.
Question: In what
ways has your capacity to not do the right thing ever surprised you?
Prayer: Have mercy on
us Jesus. Despite our best intentions,
we too often disappoint You and even ourselves.
Help us see our need for you. May
we respond to Your sacrifice and accept the redemption You offer. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Spend
some time today in confession to God about the areas of your life where you are
aware of a need to do better.
Song: Nailed to the
Cross - Rend Collective
No comments:
Post a Comment