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A Reflection from
the Good Friday 3 Hour Devotion
Good Friday, March 2008 The Glory, the paradox and the crown |
| Good Friday Refection: We spend a few minutes reflecting on what was happening for Jesus. Let's stay with him in the suffering he is now enduring. And then we can take a few minutes to stand back and reflect on the meaning of his passion. They had led Jesus to the Praetorium - Pilate's residence, the palace where the barracks also were. This was probably the fortress just inside the West Gate of Jerusalem. It was base for around 600 soldiers, though not all were there at once. Pilate, the prefect, the deputy for Tiberias in Rome. He was charged with keeping Judea in order. It was a balance between a light rule, allowing the Jewish people to observe their faith and customs, and yet letting them know that Rome was in charge. Any news of riots which got back to Rome would be bad news for Pilate. He could see that Jesus had made enemies of the Chief Priests and had committed no crime worthy of death. But the Jews were not allowed to pass the death sentence so the decision was his. Nervous of the crowds who had been stirred up by Jesus' enemies, Pilate decided it was safer to subdue Jesus, and avert a riot. Talk of Jesus being the King of the Jews seemed a little far-fetched but such talk did not make for peace in a precarious rule. Over to the care of the soldiers, who flogged him. This weakened victims and reduced their struggle when it came to crucifixion. The soldiers had done this before. For them, Jesus appeared weak. How could this passive teacher from Galilee pose any real threat to Rome. So they mocked him using a soldier's cloak to imitate a royal robe. They made a victor's wreath or crown, such as a triumphant king might bear, but out of thorn branches to make a painful joke of his claim. Their play-acting was ironic, but behind that is a double irony of course; what they couldn't see was the true kingship of Jesus. They used a reed for a staff, to substitute for a royal sceptre. And they mocked with words used for Caesar: Hail - king of the Jews. They spat on him, hit him with the staff, possibly making the thorns dig in further. Then they took off the cloak and put his own clothes back on him to walk to the place of execution. Maybe the crown of thorns remained in position as he was led away, already in pain and so weakened that they had to pull in someone from the crowd to carry the cross. 3 days earlier, according to Mark's account, in the peace of Bethany, a village about 2 mile outside Jerusalem, Jesus had been treated in a v different way. A woman had anointed Jesus by pouring v expensive perfume over Jesus' head. An extravagant action of overwhelming devotion, this was in preparation for his burial. The scent of the perfume filled the house. And maybe some of it lingered for a day or 2 - even to this day of crucifixion. His head was now lacerated and beaten - the contrast could not be greater. The Gospel writers are surprisingly restrained as they describe the sufferings of Jesus. Recent film portrayals bring home the reality to us. The Romans were experts in brutality. But it is as though the Gospel writers want us to focus more on the meaning of what is happening. We are invited to look behind the horror to the Glory. When Jesus was speaking earlier in the week about His death, he spoke about being glorified. It is his death which glorifies him. We tend to think it is his Resurrection. But in the offer of his life, in the acceptance of His Father's will, in His forgiveness shown at the point of agony, Jesus is glorified. The love he showed through His death is His glory. It is, we might say, his 'crowning glory.' Let's stay with that image of the crown because it so perfectly illustrates the irony, the paradox of Good Friday. Placing a crown on someone's head acknowledges that they are special. It may be a talent, where the winner of the contest is crowned in public. It may signal their authority and honour, as in the coronation of a King of Queen. St Paul uses the metaphor in writing his epistles. He speaks of a crown of righteousness that awaits him in heaven. And the picture is seen in the book of Revelation where the 24 elders are gathered before the throne wearing crowns, which they cast down before the throne. They have been tried in the furnace of suffering and have now received their crowns, but in the sight of the Holy One, they throw them off in worship. The Greek word for Crown is stephanos, the word used for the wreath of thorns placed on Jesus. It seems fitting then, that the first person to die, to be martyred for being a follower of the King of Kings was called Stephen. Whatever struggles we might have in our journey of faith seem feeble alongside the suffering of Jesus and his first followers. Yet they are real to us and we offer them in prayer on this most holy day. And we pray for strength to live a little more like the Saviour called us to live. The soldiers were face to face with the Saviour of the World, the One who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One before whom every knee will bow one day and every tongue confess his Lordship. They had the chance to crown him - and they placed a crown of thorns on him. We have a chance to crown him differently. 'Crown him with many crowns' we shall sing shortly. Yes we can crown him in our worship. And we can crown him too with the worship of our lives. But we are painfully aware of how far short we fall. As we look into our hearts this day, we know that we are not so much better than the people of the Passion. We too betray Jesus, deny him, walk away from His present suffering seen in the lives of others today. We prefer our own crowns of pride, self-protection, success and comfort. We seek His forgiveness for our many shortcomings and pray for grace to allow His rule in us, to crown Him not just with words but in our lives as well. Let's keep silence now and then after we offer confession together.
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