The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-11-13
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

Practical Duties Taught BIZ Study of the Inter-
national Sunday school Lesson Appointed for
Nov. %. 1890. st. Luke, % 33-47.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures
indicated abovel
SUBJECTS: ]. CALVARY. II. THE CRUcTFIZ.
ION. III. CHRIsTs FIRST SAYING ON THE
Cross. ". THE Inscription ON THE
Cross. V. THE PARTING OF CHRIsTs Raj
MENT. VI. TREATMENT OF CHRIST on THE
Cross
/. The PLACE OF CHRIsT's CRUCIFIXIoN.
/. Data.
Read st. Mt, Of: So St. Mark, 10: %; st.
Luke, %: 80 rs far as to the WORDS called
Calvary"
2. Tins.
We may say It was about 10 minutes to 9
o'clock a. m. II was just before Jesus was nailed
to the cross. The year. month, and day were
A. ID. 29, March IL, Friday.
3. Place.
The words Golgotha and skull are eduiya-
lents-GolRotha being Syro- Chadee, corrup-
ton Of Chaldee. Golgotha was likewise called
Calvary, Latin word which also means skull.
We do not know why it was so named. IL has
been said that the reason is the fact the skulls
OF victims were suffered to lay about the spot.
Some think the place was something of the
shape Off skull. 1t was the locality where pub
lie executions In that region were inflicted-a
sort of Economic ScalH as at Rome It was
without tho gates -; that is to say outside the
walls Of Jerusalem, (IIeb.. -: 12) and nigh
to the city" (St. John, 10 20.)
4. Suggestions
From the standpoint of the crucfiers of Christ
it was fitting that he be dragged out from the
city. He was considered gross sinner, not fit
for society. The custom of having executions
outside of the city had a symbolic significance
and an esthetic fitness. without are dogs"
etc. SEQ Rev, %: 49, Only the pure must
be tolerated in the new Jerusalem, the City
OF God. Here IS q suggestion as to municipal
affairs. Cities are centers Of population, radat-
ing influences throughout the country. Of
Gals should aim for integrity. Evil should be
cast out FROM the city.
III. THE CRUcIFIxIoN.
l. Data.
Read st. Matt, 81; IS. and they crucifed
him -, -; 81. Mark. Is: 25, 81, 2s st. Luke,
% -, 80, there they cruciGed him and the
malefactors one on the right hand and the
other on tho left y; st. John, 49, Is.
q Time.
By the statement. they crueihed him." we
understand the mailing him 10 the cross aud
tho elevation of the cross. They probably laid
the cross horizontally on the ground. fastened
the victim to IL and then raised it erect In cases
first and then bound the victim to it, The act
Of the crucihxiOn would not require much
| time, say Is minutes. But death by erucif xion
was a lingering process, at times requiring sew
era days.
There were three victims Perhaps all were
first nailed TO their respective crosses The
detachment of soldiers may have consisted of
enough men TO enable the crueidxions to pro-
coed simultaneously. Hence, perhaps, the
squad that executed Jesus may have differed
| from tho men who nailed tho thieves to their
crosses.
3. Place
This corresponds with the same In the para
| graph above
4. Malefpciors
We know little of these. ST. Luke calls them
| mnlefactoFs, or evil.dners. SITS. Matthew and
| Mark style them thieves They were trans
gressors ia. % IL; ST. Luke, % 81 They
| had really committed crime (Sce st. Luke,
/ %: Al tradition says the penitent thief
was st. Dimas
5. Method Of Execution.
The method of fastening victims to crosses
| varied, being sometimes by nails; at other
| times by ropes In this lesson nails wero used.
! The feet OF the erueilied person reached TO
about "a TO "a inches from tine ground On the
! front perpendicular of tho cross there was a
/ peg on which the victim gained some support
| for his body, keeping 10 from saggiug and
| tearing hands and feet from the nails. Some
crosses had small platforms on which the feet
could rest, enabling the sufferer To remain moro
| erect. This method of execution was horrible.
/ IL is a very ancient custom. The Burmese,
Chinese, kurds, AIahometans, and other
nations have practiced it. Most of the old
nations, more or less, inflicted capital punish
ment by crucihxion.
6. The Three Crosses
Number one signifies condemnation num-
Der two atonement or salvation number three
penitcnce disease, remedy aud effect. There
are two sides Who is on tho Lords side2
III. CnRIsT's FIRST SAYING ON THE Cross
Jesus, while suffering for six hours on the
cross. uttered seven sayings. We have the first
in ST. Luke. % 34-"Ihen said Jesus Father
forgive them: for they know not what they
do The other sayings are (2l 'To-day shalt
thou be with mo in Paradise; :" (3l Woman
behold thy sonl behold thy mother;" a.
ELI, Eli, lama sabachthani;" (5l 4 thirst
(6) .. 1t is finished; !" % Father into thy hands
/ commit my spirit"
Forgive them" Whom2 Evidently not the
chief priests Even they probably did not fully
realize who Christ actually was But ignorance
rs to Christ would specially characterize the
Roman soldiers, who were heather. and who
were only obeying orders. They probably saw
| little difference among those whom they exc
cuted from time to time They looked on
Christ rs an ordinary condemned prisoner, foi
whose death they held a warrant.
Christs prayer will always be cited as most
beautiful illustration of forbearing mind.
prayer for forgiveness of person knowingly
aud stubbOrnly guilty could not proceed from
the lips of any being having at heart the inter
ests of community, or having in mind clear
idea of the distinction between penitence and
impenitence.
Suggestions
We must cultivate ability to look kindly or
persons who, having done wrong, seek forgive
| ness.
Bacon said He that cannot forgive Others
breaks bown the bridge over which he mus
| pass himself"
The Chinese say, "a wise man forgets ole
grudges." But the Chinese are heathens.
~. INSCRIPTION ON CHRIsTs Cross.
l. Data.
st. Mt. OF 81; St. Mark, Is 90; st. Luke
%; 50; ST. John, 10: 1922.
2. Time.
PLATE ordered the inscription to be prepared
4 rl,ulI. a. Il.