Palm/Passion Sunday
Luke 23:1-25
March 24th, 2013
Thomas L. Truby
In the End Herod and Pilate Join the Mob
Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. (What is the name we give for an assembly that rises as one body? How about a mob? Mobs are frightening? Group hysteria has them all in its grasp. No one is in control and no one knows what will happen. They are unpredictable and fickle. There were a number of scenes in the movie “Argo” where the Iranian mob was in control and terrible things happened. I am sure the accurate depiction of a mob was one of the reasons “Argo” won an Academy Award. What will happen here?)
They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, (really, they are angry with Jesus for forbidding them pay taxes to Caesar.) and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king." (Is any of this true? Did Jesus do any of this? Do you think Pilate smells a rat? He is thinking, “Why are these people saying this to me now? Something is going on here. He starts his data-gathering by asking Jesus for his perspective.)
Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "You say so." (This is Jesus’ way of saying, “you think I might be and that’s why you are worried—Jesus knows that he is no political threat at all in the usual way that Pilate worries about. But Pilate is in charge here and he doesn’t like Jesus suggesting he is afraid. He is also suspicious of the motives of this crowd. He doesn’t know what is going on but he does know he wants no part of it.)
Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an accusation against this man." But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place." (He stirs up people. Now that is a problem. We don’t like things getting stirred up. But they mentioned Galilee! Maybe he is outside my territory and I can pass him on to Herod, that creep from Galilee. You see, Herod and Pilate didn’t like each other.)
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. (Herod being in Jerusalem made it very handy. This “can” could be kicked in Herod’s direction.)
When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. (Have you ever noticed that Herod was happy to see Jesus? He was hoping to see him do some magic tricks. His interest in Jesus isn’t deeply spiritual.)
He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. (How disappointing for Herod. He couldn’t even get him to talk much less perform magic tricks.)
The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. (The religious and legal authorities vigorously accused Jesus of all kinds of things—anything they can think of that they hope will get him into trouble. They really don’t like him and want him dead. Herod imitated their behavior and soon he and his soldiers are contemptuously mocking Jesus as well. If he won’t perform magic for us at least we will have some fun with him. Dressed in mocking apparel, they send him back to Pilate. They were having a lot of fun, each outdoing the other in their rivalry over who could find the most creative way of shaming and humiliating him. For the soldiers it was quite an effective way of letting off steam. It reminds me of Abu Grab, the jail in Bagdad.)
That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies. (Verse 12 is really important. It shows us that Luke, the gospel writer, knew how human’s tick, at least those who try to live without a transcendent dimension to their lives. What united Herod and Pilate? Why were they friends after that? They had been enemies. Is Luke seeing anything that goes to the core of humanity? Let’s see how this plays out!)
Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, (Pilate senses an emerging crisis and he doesn’t want to be held responsible so he calls a meeting. He gets all the leaders together and he makes a statement.)
And said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him." (This amazes me! I had never seen this before. The thing that brings Pilate and Herod together is their agreement that Jesus is innocent. They both know the mob wants to kill an innocent man. If they allow it, they will both be complicit in murder. Their alliance in allowing a crime unites them. Before I had thought they were united in that they both hated Jesus. They didn’t hate him.)
Then they all shouted out together, "Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!" (The screaming mob is again acting in unison. They are in a spell; entranced by this human phenomena of all turning on one.)
Luke explains, (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Luke makes it clear they want to release a guilty man and kill an innocent one. Why is this? How do we explain it? Or is this Luke’s way of encapsulating the whole gospel story in what happens between Barabbas and Jesus and Barabbas represents us? Like Barabbas we are insurrectionist and murders who are condemned but Jesus sacrifices himself to our violence and in so doing opens a way of escape for us.)
Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him." (Pilate doesn’t like where this is going. It violates his sense of justice. Even he hates to condemn an innocent man.)
But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
(The mob spewing contagious violence wins. Pilate, knowing what they are going to do, joins them. He too now is part of the mob. The scapegoat is utterly surrounded and no one cares. The imagery in the Psalm describes the scene. “I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. For I hear the whispering of many—terror all around!—as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.” We have entered Passion Week.
But while we have left Jesus surrounded and threatened on all sides, he is not alone. He has embraced the words the Psalmist used in finishing the Psalm. “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”
We will leave the reading at this point. I don’t think we can handle much more truth. On Friday--Good Friday-- the day Jesus was crucified, we will continue the narrative. And then on Sunday we will pick up the story from there. Amen.)
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