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Humiliation and Hope
Why do we try to be humble, but revile humiliation?
Imagine your most humiliating moment. The time in
front of your family, friends, fellow workers, or boss when you felt
most shamed, most venerable. Jesus felt the same. But, Jesus endured
humiliation with hope.
Popular Translation
The religious leaders in Jerusalem arrested
Jesus and questioned him. Afterwards, they took him to Pontius Pilate,
the governor of Judea. 11b Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
"If you say so," Jesus answered.
12 But, when the Temple priests and other
leaders questioned him, he didn't answer. 13 "Didn't you just hear all
the charges they've made against you?" Pilate said. 14 Again, Jesus
didn't answer, not even a single word! Pilate was really surprised!
15 During the festival of Passover, Pilate
usually freed one prisoner the crowd asked for. 16 There was a famous
prisoner in jail named Barabbas. 17 So, when the crowd formed, Pilate
asked them, "Who do you want me to free, Barabbas or Jesus, the
so-called Messiah?" 18 Pilate knew the leaders turned Jesus over to him
because they were jealous.
19 While Pilate sat on the judge's seat, his
wife sent him a note. "Don't have anything to do with that innocent
man!" the note said. "I had a dream about him last night. It really
upset me!"
20 The Temple priests and other leaders
convinced the crowd they should ask Pilate to free Barabbas and punish
Jesus. 21 "Which man do you want me to free?" Pilate asked the crowd.
"Barabbas!" they answered.
22 "What should I do with Jesus, the so-called Messiah?" Pilate said.
"Crucify him!" they responded.
23 "But why? What crime did he commit?" Pilate replied.
"CRUCIFY HIM!" they shouted even louder.
24 Pilate saw he was getting nowhere with the
crowd. In fact, a riot might break out. So, he got some water and
washed his hands in front of everyone. "I'm innocent of this man's
death. You're responsible!" 25 The crowd agreed. 26 So, Pilate released
Barabbas. Then, he had his soldiers beat Jesus and lead him out to be
crucified.
27 Some of Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into
the governor's headquarters. And the rest of the soldiers gathered
around. 28 Stripping off his clothes, they put a purple robe on him to
make him look like a king. 29-30 They wove a crown of thrones and
placed it on his head. Then, they put a reed stick in his right hand.
Finally they knelt before him and insulted him. "Greetings, King of the
Jews!" they sneered as they spat on him. They took the reed stick from
him and hit him over the head with it. 31 When they got done, they
removed the purple robe, put his clothes back on him, and led him away
so they could crucify him.
32 On the way out, the soldiers found a man
named Simon and made him carry the cross of Jesus. 33 When they got to
Skull Place, 34 they gave Jesus wine mixed with a bitter spice to
drink. Jesus tasted it, then refused to drink it.
35 The soldiers crucified Jesus. Then, they
threw dice to see who would win his clothes. 36 After that, they sat
around and guarded him as he died. 37 Above his head they placed a sign
with the crime he had been accused of. "This is Jesus, the King of the
Jews," it read. 38 Then they crucified two robbers, one to his right
and the other to his left.
39 Those who passed by shook their heads as
they insulted Jesus: 40 "Hey! Weren't you going to tear down the Temple
and rebuild it in three days? If you're really God's Son, save yourself
and get off that cross!"
41 In the same way, the Temple priests and
religious leaders made fun of Jesus. 42 "He saved others, but he can't
save himself." some said. "Is he really the king of the Israel? Let him
get off the cross now. Then we'll believe in him!"
43 Others chimed in. "He put his trust in God and said he was God's Son. Well, let God save him, if he cares to!"
44 Even the crucified robbers insulted Jesus.
45 About noon, the sky became very dark. And the darkness lasted for three hours. 46 About three o'clock, Jesus shouted, "My God! My God! Why have you given up on me?"
47 Some of the people standing there said,
"This man calls on Elijah!" 48 One of them quickly ran to get a sponge,
filled it with vinegar, placed it on a reed stick, and offered it to
Jesus as a drink. 49 "Don't!" the others said. "Let's see if Elijah
comes to save him."
50 Jesus groaned loudly and died.
51 Suddenly, the Temple curtain tore in two
from top to bottom. The ground quaked and rocks broke apart. 52 Tombs
opened up and many holy people who died were raised to life. 53 After
Jesus rose from the dead, these holy people came out of their tombs and
appeared many in Jerusalem. 54 Then captain and his soldiers who
guarded Jesus saw the earthquake and other things that happened. So,
they were really afraid. "This man was really God's Son," they said.
This shortened reading of Matthew's Passion can be
divided into six sections: the silence of Jesus, the introduction of
Barabbas, the judgement of Jesus (and release of Barabbas), the
crucifixion, the death taunts, and the death of Jesus (surrounded by
signs of the end times).
Literal Translation
11 JESUS stood in front of the governor. The governor questioned HIM, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?" JESUS said, "You say (so)."
12 As he was accused by the chief priests and elders, HE gave no
answer. 13 Then, Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear what they witness
against you?" 14 HE did not give him an answer, not one word, so that
the governor was greatly amazed.
27:11 "You say (so)" This response is common to all
four gospels. Biblical scholars are uncertain as to the tone of the
comment. (Was it an acknowledgment of Jesus to the title? Or, was it a
sarcastic rejection of Pilate's taunt?)
Why did Jesus endure such suffering in silence? To
prove he was the Messiah. Contemporaries of Jesus believed suffering
could be heroic. Silent endurance demonstrated the true strength
character. In other words, the silence of Jesus before Pilate shouted:
"Take your best shot. I'll still be standing." [27:11-13]
More than a proof for strength of character, the
endurance of suffering could lead to a greater good. In silence, Jesus
would suffer for others. As Isaiah 53:7-8 stated:
He was painfully abused, but he did not complain. He
was silent like a lamb being led to the butcher, as quiet as a sheep
having its wool cut off.
He was condemned to death without a fair trial. Who
could have imagined what would happen to him? His life was taken away
because of the sinful things my people had done. (RSV)
15 Now, at the (Passover) festival, the governor
held the custom to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they desired.
16 They had there an infamous prisoner, named Barabbas. 17 After (the
crowd) gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you wish (that) I should
release to you, Barabbas or JESUS, the (one) called 'Christ?'" 18 For
he (fully) knew that (the Jewish leaders) turned HIM over because of
(their) jealousy.
The term Barabbas (Aramaic, meaning "son of the
father") addressed this theme. While the revolutionary may have used
the title to hide his identity and to communicate solidarity with the
common person, Matthew used the title to show Jesus suffered for all
people. [15-18] We, as "sons (and daughters) of fathers," were released
through suffering of the One condemned for being the Messiah.
19 While he sat on the judge's seat, his wife
sent to him (a message), saying, "(Have) nothing between you and that
righteous MAN. For I suffered many (things) today in a dream because of
HIM."
20 But the chief priests and the elders
convinced the crowd that they should ask for Barabbas and should
destroy JESUS. 21 Answering, the governor said to them, "Which of the
two do you want (that) I should release to you?" They said "Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What, then, should I do (with) JESUS, called
'Christ?'" they said, "HE should be crucified!" 23 He said, "Why? What
evil did HE do?" They cried out louder, saying, "HE should be
crucified!" 24 Pilate, seeing that nothing was gained but a riot was
(about to) happen, taking water, washed his hands in front of the
crowd, saying, "I am innocent (of the spilling) of this MAN"S blood.
You see to it!" 25 Answering, all the people said, "(Let the spilling
of) HIS blood (be) on us and on our children!" 26 Then, he released
Barabbas to them, but he, having JESUS (first) whipped, turn (HIM) over
(to the soldiers) so HE could be crucified.
Against Pilate's better judgement, he entertained
the Jewish leaders' demand for blood. These leaders created a crowd
atmosphere to crying out for kangaroo court justice. [11:20-25] The
audience of Matthew's gospel saw both Pilate and the Jewish leaders as
symbols for their concerns.
On the one hand, the Roman Empire (represented by
Pilate) initially faced Christianity with an open mind. Most converts
came from a non-Jewish general population. On the other hand, Jewish
leadership within the area of Palestine (where Matthew probably penned
his Gospel) and in the Diaspora had already excommunicated Jewish
Christians. They rejected Jesus as the Messiah. In doing so, Matthew
held, they who rejected Jesus refused his life-giving death. They would
take the consequences of their actions upon themselves. [11:25]
Mob justice won the day. [11:26] In the time of
Jesus, the one who controlled the mob ruled. To this end, the religious
leaders sent their henchmen to manipulate and bully, so they could
catch Pilate off guard. The Romans, too, played the mob game. Many
times an official would order his troops to don civilian clothes, run
into the streets, physically harass the populace. In the psychology of
terror tactics, both sides played the mob card to their advantage.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor, having
taken JESUS into the headquarters (at the governor's palace), gathered
against HIM, all (of them in) the group. 28 Stripping HIM, they placed
a purple cloak around HIM, and, 29 having woven a crown of thorns, they
placed (it) on HIS head, and a (solid) reed (like a scepter) in HIS
right (hand). Kneeling before HIM, (they) threw insults at him, saying,
"Hail, King of the Jews!" 30 And spitting at HIM, they took the reed
(from HIM) and struck HIS head. 31 When they (finished) throwing
insults at HIM, they took the cloak off HIM, put HIS clothes on HIM,
and led HIM away to be crucified. 32 Going out (into the city), they
found a man, a Cyrenian, Simon by name. They took custody of this man,
so that he might carry HIS cross. 33 Coming to a place called Golgotha,
which is called "Skull Place," 34 they gave HIM wine to drink, having
been mixed with gall. Tasting (it), HE would not drink. 35 Having
crucified HIM, they separated HIS clothes, casting lots. 36 Sitting,
they guarded HIM there. 37 They placed above HIS head the accusation
(against HIM), having been written, "This is JESUS, the King of the
Jews." 38 Then, two robbers were crucified with him, one on (HIS) right
and one on (HIS) left.
While Christians viewed the suffering of Jesus as
salvific, non-believers could not understand the death of a common
Jewish criminal as anything more than a humiliating end to a pointless
life. Indeed, one of the earliest known Roman images of the crucifixion
was a piece of graffiti. In the image, a slave prostrated himself
before a crucified man with the head of an ass. The caption for the
image read: "Alexander worships his god."
The Roman punishment of crucifixion meant to
belittle the condemned so much that no one else would dare commit such
an atrocity. By the time of death, the prisoner had no honor or good
reputation to call his own. Romans calculated every step of the
execution drama to clearly communicate utter disdain. Pilate executed
Jesus as a revolutionary, a self-declared "King of the Jews." When they
beat and insulted Jesus, the soldiers played their part in the drama.
[11:27-31] They so weakened Jesus, they had to press a stranger into
service for the execution (which was their right under Roman law).
[11:32]
Finally, they executed Jesus in full view of the
city. The clothes and possessions of the executed became the property
of the soldiers, as payment for the service. To determine the ownership
of the property, the soldiers gambled for the clothes before the
still-living prisoner to heighten the sense of humiliation. [11:35]
(Normally, Romans crucified prisoners without clothes, but the they
allowed Jewish prisoners to have loin cloths for sake of the modest
Jewish populace.) The comments of the crowd, soldiers, and fellow
prisoners only added to the disdain. As the only act of mercy in the
scene, someone offered Jesus a drug-laced wine to dull the pain [11:34,
11:48].
The sign posted for the execution added irony to
the scene. [11:37] Both Christians and non-Christians would agree the
sign was appropriate. Jesus was, indeed, "King of the Jews," the
Messiah. For non-Christians, the sign made Jesus a laughing stock. For
Christians, the sign revealed the purpose of Jesus' mission.
39 The (people) passing by (kept) blaspheming
HIM, shaking their heads 40 and saying, " (YOU), the (one) destroying
the Temple and rebuilding (it) in three days! Save yourself, if (YOU)
are the Son of God, and come down off the cross!" 41 In the same way,
the chief priests, mocking with the scribes and the elders, said, 42
"HE saved others, but HE is not able to save himself! HE is the King of
Israel? Let HIM come down from the cross now and we will believe in
HIM! 43 HE (placed HIS) trust in God. Let (God) rescue (HIM) now, if he
wants HIM (to live). For HE said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44 (In) the
same (way), the robbers crucified with HIM reviled HIM. 45 Now, from
the sixth hour until the ninth hour, (there) was darkness all over the
land. 46 About the ninth hour, JESUS cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Eli, eli lema sabachtani?" This is: "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?"
47 Some of the (people) standing there, hearing (HIM), said, "This
(man) calls Elijah!" 48 One of them running quickly, taking a sponge,
filling (it with) vinegar, and putting (it) on a (solid) reed, offered
HIM a drink. 49 But the rest said, "Wait! Let us see if Elijah comes,
saving HIM."
27:39-44 The three groups surrounded Jesus in
concentric circles. In the outside circle, travelers blasphemed Jesus.
In the center circle, the leadership mocked him. In the inner circle,
the robbers reviled him. As Matthew moved from the outside in, the
reaction to the crucified Jesus became harsher (blasphemy to mocking to
revulsion).
27:45-46 "sixth hour...ninth hour" In the Greek
tradition, time was counted from dawn. So the sixth hour was noon, and
the ninth hour was 3:00 P.M.
Despite the best efforts of the soldiers, Jesus
would not give up. For his last words in Matthew's passion, Jesus
shouted out the first line to Psalm 22. [11:46] Like popular recordings
of today, Jews knew the psalms by title (not by number which biblical
scholars established in the 1600's). Psalm 22 began with a lament but
ends with a defiant statement of hope. Compare Psalm 22:1 ("My God, my
God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won't you
listen to my groans and come to my rescue?") to Psalm 22:23 ("The Lord
doesn't hate or despise the helpless in all of their troubles. When I
cried out, he listened and did not turn away."). For this reason,
people in the crowd wondered if God would help him. Since Jews believed
Elijah would come to announce the coming of the Messiah, those in the
crowd would have expected the first of the prophets to appear.
[11:47-49]
50 JESUS, crying out in a loud voice, gave up
(HIS) spirit. 51 Look! The veil in the Temple was torn in two from top
to bottom, the earth shook, rocks were split open, 52 the tombs were
opened, and many bodies of the saints having fallen asleep were raised.
53 Coming out of the tomb after HIS resurrection, (the risen) entered
the holy city and appeared to many. 54 The centurion and the (soldiers)
guarding JESUS, seeing the earthquake and the (things) happening,
feared greatly, saying, "This (MAN) was truly the Son of God!"
27:50 "...gave up his spirit." Jesus died.
27:51-52 The emphatic "Look!" introduced a series of
events that, taken together, described what would happen in the end
times (violence against the Temple, earthquakes, and the resurrection
of the just). Notice the passive voice of the verbs. The person who
caused these events was God himself.
For Matthew, the death of Jesus marked the
beginning of God's Kingdom. The curtain in the Temple which separated
the sanctuary area (with the altar of sacrifice) from the Holy of
Holies (a room that contained the Ark of the Covenant). Jews pointed to
the Temple (particularly the Holy of Holies) as a definitive dwelling
for the presence of God. Now, with the curtain spilt, God's presence
spilled from the Temple over the city.
Other cosmic signs of the Kingdom appeared.
Earthquakes and resurrections marked the shift away from a time of
despair to an era of hope. The signs cumulated in the soldiers'
confession of faith. Stuck with holy fear from God's revelation in the
death of Jesus, they proclaimed Jesus God's true Son.
Catechism Themes:
The Trial of Jesus (CCC 595-618)
Christ's Redemptive Death in God's Plan of Salvation
Christ Offered Himself to the Father for Our Sins
Jesus Christ was Buried (CCC 624-628)
Egged on by the Jewish leadership, Pontius Pilate
condemned Jesus to death. Who was responsible for the death of Christ?
The Gospels portrayed a divided leadership. The Sanhedrin, or Jewish
high council, broke into factions over the question of Jesus. Political
intrigue and manipulation blinded the crowd who called for Jesus'
blood. Too many factors prevent us from laying blame on those who lived
in Jerusalem.
More important, morality cries out against those who
accuse Jerusalem, Israel, or Judaism as a whole for the death of Jesus.
If any blame lies for the death of our Lord, it lies at our Christian
feet. When we, by our actions, deny him as our Lord, when we refuse to
love others as ourselves, when we sin, we partake in the rage, the
cold-hearted political games, and the desire for expediency that
cracked the whip and drove the nails. Selfishness, not a nation,
crucified our Lord. (27:11-13)
God planned the salvation of all through sin and
death, not in spite of these two evils. God allowed events to unfold
according to the freely chosen choices of men. But, in God's
providence, Christ conquered sin through the sin of those who condemned
him; he destroyed death through his own death. How? Through love,
universal and unconditional. By choosing love, Jesus took the sins of
all upon himself, so that the sin of all might be forgiven. Through
love, he allowed himself to be put to death, so he could destroyed the
death of all. For the love of all humanity, Jesus suffered and died.
(27:15-26)
For the sake of all people, the Father willed the
suffering and death of his Son. In turn, the Son desired to live his
Father's will. To know and follow the will of the Father was the reason
Christ came into the world. Christ chose do the Father's will freely.
The events of Jesus' life showed his fidelity to his Father's will. His
Incarnation, his baptism, and his public ministry foreshadowed his
death. A death he shared with his apostles at the Last Supper. A death
he freely chose in agony at Gethsemani. A death he gave to the Father
in love. (27:27-49)
When Jesus offered himself to the Father, his
sacrifice opened a new path to the Father. Through Christ's death, the
Father reached out to all of us. And through his death, we all can join
ourselves to Christ in order to touch the Father. No longer do we need
to offer sacrifice to worship the Father; Christ's sacrifice united God
and us together. With his death, Christ established a new covenant, a
new alliance between God and humanity.
Christ acted on our behalf. His obedience replaced
our disobedience. His love replaced our indifference and disdain. His
outreach to all replaced our self-centered interest. By acting for us,
Jesus showed he was first among all people.
Christ also acted upon the Father's behalf. In his
death, he revealed the extent of the Father's love. By acting for the
Father, Jesus showed he was truly God's faithful Son, the second person
of the holy Trinity.
The sacrifice of Christ encompasses all people at all
times. As the one event that changed the relationship between God and
humanity, the crucifixion of Christ give us an example to follow. More
important, Christ's one sacrifice gives us the means to offer ourselves
to the Father in worship. As Christ sought the will of the Father in
all things, we, too, must seek God's direction, even in self-sacrifice.
(27:50-54)
How does the death of Jesus bring you closer to the Father? How does the image of Christ on the cross inspire you?
As Christians, we view the crucifixion of Jesus as
a sign of hope. He turned a sign of utter humiliation on its head.
Along with Jesus, we can proudly proclaim God's mercy even in times of
abandonment. As we can look back at times of humiliation as challenges,
we can look forward to God's continuing presence even when loneliness
faces us. God is with us!
Humiliation and loneliness thread throughout life.
They ultimately lead to death. Do we, like Jesus, humbly walk life's
road with certain trust in God's providence? Or, do we proudly take
control and slowly push God out of the picture, only to have loneliness
isolate us and humiliation enrage us? Matthew's passion of Jesus paints
the choice for us.
Reflect on the death of Jesus this week. Walk a
little in his shoes. (Attend a Station of the Cross, if you can). As
you walk with Jesus in his final hours, give him your burdens, hopes,
and desires. Make the journey with him an act of worship.
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