Crucifige eum | Crucify him

Pilate asked them, 'Why, what evil has he done?' But they shouted all the more, 'Crucify him!' - Mark 15: 14.

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Reflecting on the interactions between Pilate, Jesus and the crowds. Pilate, as the governor representing the authority of Rome, had every power bestowed on him to free Jesus. He was even warned by his wife who had troubling dreams of the fate of this righteous man arrested before Pilate. Yet like many of us, who at times yield to the continual pressures of the people around, who will pressure us into making decisions that go against our own conscience, Pilate made the irreversible decision to free a violent criminal and sentenced Jesus to a long-drawn and painful death by crucifixion. 

I'm amazed at the calmness of our Lord who amid His violent and vociferous enemies, had kept His peace and was wholly surrendered to the salvation plan of our Heavenly Father. This event is depicted with much graphic details by the prophet Isaiah (600 years before our Lord's birth) in Isaiah 53:7-10:

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future?

For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.

9 They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with affliction. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.

As I reflected further on the trial scene written by Mark and the prophetic writings of Isaiah 53, I wonder too: how many times have I crucified our Lord, when I acted or spoke unkindly to another person (who is also made in the image of God). How many times have I succumbed to pressures from people around me and like the crowd had shouted, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" 

As the hymn writer had penned for us: "It's beyond my comprehension how a sinless Saviour could die for a sinful man like me."

How Deep The Father's Love For Us 

How deep the Father's love for us 

How vast beyond all measure 

That He should give His only Son 

To make a wretch His treasure 

How great the pain of searing loss 

The Father turns His face away 

As wounds which mar the Chosen One 

Bring many sons to glory

I will close my sharing with the words from Man of Sorrows:

Man of sorrows, Lamb of God

By His own betrayed

The sin of man and wrath of God

Has been on Jesus laid

Silent as He stood accused

Beaten, mocked, and scorned

Bowing to the Father's will

He took a crown of thorns

Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation

Where Your love poured out over me

Now my soul cries out, "Hallelujah"

"Praise and honour unto Thee"

Sent of heaven God's own Son

To purchase and redeem

And reconcile the very ones

Who nailed Him to that tree

Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation

Where Your love poured out over me

Now my soul cries out, "Hallelujah"

"Praise and honour unto Thee"

Now my debt is paid

It is paid in full

By the precious blood

That my Jesus spilled

Now the curse of sin

Has no hold on me

Whom the Son sets free

Oh, is free indeed

Now my debt is paid

It is paid in full

By the precious blood

That my Jesus spilled

Now the curse of sin

Has no hold on me

Whom the Son sets free

Oh, is free indeed

Oh, that rugged cross my salvation

Where Your love poured out over me

Now my soul cries out, "Hallelujah"

"Praise and honour unto Thee"

See the stone is rolled away

Behold the empty tomb

Hallelujah, God be praised

He's risen from the grave

Oh, that rugged cross my salvation

Where Your love poured out over me

Now my soul cries out, "Hallelujah"

"Praise and honour unto Thee"

"Praise and honour unto Thee" 

Source: Musixmatch 

Songwriters: Matt Crocker / Brooke Ligertwood Man of Sorrows lyrics 

© Hillsong Music Publishing Australia 

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/b48fPuO8GY0

Reflection on Mark 13:1-19 by Chris Tan

A longe | Distance

"Peter had followed him from a distance, until he came into the court of the high priest" - Mark 14: 54

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Jesus's Passion, Death, and Resurrection are beautiful facts of how humanity was reconciled to God. Creator God loved us so much that He sent his only beloved Son to be offered as a sacrifice (Jn 3:16). When I reflect on war situations around the world today, I understand how difficult it must have been for God to send His beloved Son to die a horrible death for our sake. For our reflection today we have Mark 14:53-72 which narrates a part of the Passion of Christ, which is Jesus before the Sanhedrin, and Peter disowning His master. All four Gospels give these accounts.

Jesus being innocent, was now before the High Priest and this was his second trial. The process was not done in accordance with the Law of the Jews and thus the trial itself was illegal. Justice and truth are important pillars in establishing the Kingdom of God. When these are wrongly justified and not practiced, pride, ego, and corruption can twist us just as it had twisted the Pharisees, the Sadducees and others who brought Jesus before the High Priest. 

Jesus being the victim teaches us how one must endure trails and false trials that come our way every now and then. When we are wrong, or even when we are blamed falsely, we must conduct ourselves like Jesus to give way for Justice and truth to be established. That makes us graceful in our Christian lives and helps us bear true witness to Christ before others. Let us examine our conduct when we become part of trials. Most importantly, let us examine if I initiate trials and ask others also to be a part of them while condemning those who may have done wrong to us or of whom we are jealous.

At the end of the trial, they all condemned Jesus for blasphemy and then comes another blow to Jesus. Peter denies His master and leaves Him to fend for Himself. Peter first and foremost followed Jesus from a distance. When we follow Jesus from a distance, we too cannot make a proper stand for ourselves with Jesus in important times. Secondly, Peter associated himself with the servants leaving behind the companionship of Jesus. He then denies Jesus three times before them.

The point of reflection for us is:  how many times do we deny Jesus in our day-to-day lives by not living honest Christian lives? People are important and at the same time, the teachings of Christ come first for us. Justice, truth, accompanying those who are wronged, bearing true witness to our beliefs, and staying in touch with the teachings of Christ by reading the Word of God every single day are ways where we follow Christ closely and not from a distance. 

Let us ask the Lord to bless us with the grace to work as agents of the Kingdom of God by living as He did and bearing witness to Him in every way. When we are wrong, like Peter, we can always repent and then lead a holy life.

 Reflection on Mark 14:53-72 by Fr Hanson D'Souza SVD

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