Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-08
Pen Picture Of the Scene SO Power
fully Portrayed by Munkasczy
In HIS CHRIST BEFORE PLATE.
The Proper Analysis of the Character Of
the Roman Governor.
A LESSON THAT COMES HOME TO EACH.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

an excited multitude. The sun is up, and
the city is astir.
The crowd cries out to Plate to keep the
Governors custom. At that feast the
Roman Governor gave the people the power
of pardon. They might open the prison
gates and take one prisoner out. Plate
hopes that they may choose the Prophet of
Nazareth. 1t would seem a reasona BILE
hope. The Prophet of Nazareth had been
the peoples champion. He had preached
especially to them. and they had listened
gladly. He had gone about among them,
healing their sick, helping them, doing
good, giving His strength in their service.
Was there none there on whom those blessed
healing hands had rested? Was there none
who had been led from darkness into light,
from grief to peace, following the guiding OF
this Master? Was there no weary and heavy
laden one among them all who had found
rest? Where were they who had carried the
palm branches, and sung the allelujahs?
They were all hostile, or silent. Not voice
was raised for Christ by anybody. 1t is not
Jesus of Nazareth they want. Another will
please them better Let us have Barabbas.
And Barabbas was robber.
They Demanded His Blood.
"What then shall 1 do?" asks Pllate,
"with Jesus who is called Christi" And
back comes the answer, hundred times re-
peated, swelling into a dreadful, universal
clamor, Cruelty HimW "Crucily Him"
Cruelty HimI"
"Why, what evil hath He done?" de-
mands the Governor. II have found no
cause of death in Him. 1 will therefore
chastise Him, and let Him 60.
" And they were instant with loud voices,
requiring that He might be crucifed."
Plate is afraid. This great tumultuous,
shouting mob, utterly bereft (mob like) oil
sense and heart, this disorderly, wild, threat
ening, insane, savage mob scares Pilate. He
does not dare to stand for justice in the face
of it, He does dare, however, to make his
protest. Pilate, after all, is braver than
Peter. He takes water and washes mis- hands
before the multitude. II am innocent" he
declares "of the blood OF this just person.
See ye to it. :" And great shout goes up from
all the people. "His blood be on us and on
our children"
Gateway to the Path of Death.
Plate delivers Jesus to be scourged.
With back barred and feet and hands tied to
a low pillar, Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord
and Saviour, endures the shame and pain
of that public whipping. Sometimes men
died under that fierce lash. Often they
tainted 1t was a fitting gateway to the
path of death.
And after the scourging came third ter
rible scene. That at the house of Caiaphas,
and that at the house of Herod, is repeated
at the house of PLATE. Jesus is given over
to the soldiers, faint with pain, His back
| bruised and blood-stained. The merciless
soldiers mock Him. They put crown of
thorns upon His head, and q reed for
scepter between His tied hands, and then
leach with his derisive homage Of bended
| knee, each with his infamous splitting, each
| with the blow over the head from the reed
| scepter, which His bound hands could not
hold" they pass before Him, crying, Hail,
King of the Jewsp' mocking and insulting
Him.
But now PLATE makes another endeavor
after justice. He sends for Jesus and brings
| Him forth again before the multitude.
Forth He comes, thorn-crowned, with hands
tied, and the red robe cast about Him. with
| the 'weariness of His dreadful agony" upon
| His eyes, and His blessed face stained with
I the marks of blows and splitting. And
Plate appeals for pity. "Behold the menP
The Real Accusation at Last.
But there is no pity anywhere, save in
| the heart of Christ for these His enemies.
! "Crucify Him. ''cruciiy Him. is the only
greeting. "Take We Him and cruelty Him."
| saws Plate, "for find no fault in Him."
| The Jews answer, "We have law and by
our law He ought to die, because He made
Himself the Son of God"
Here at last is the real accusation. And
after the strange evepts of the early morn
ing, and in sight of the face of this innocent
prisoner, PLATE is startled at the words.
He remembers the mysterious dream which
his wife had last night, and which she came
and told him of, warning him, and saying:
"Have thou nothing to do with that just
man." He made Himself the Son of God"
What NAV that mean?
And he went again into the judgment
hall and saith unto Jesus: Whence art
Thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then
saith PLATE unto Him. Speakest Thou not
unto me? Knowest Thou not that 1 have
power to cruelty Thee, and have power to
release Thee? Jesus answered: Thou couldest
have no power at all against Me except it
were given thee from above; therefore, he
that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater
sin."
Pllate appeals to the people. Here is a
man perfectly innocent. There is no fault
IN him at all. But again the great mob
breaks out in threats and curses. "If thou
let this man go thou art not Casar's friend.
Whosoever maketh himself u king speaketh
against C9sar!'
Delivered Up to Be Crucified.
"When PLATE therefore heard that saying
he brought Jesus forth" The time has come.
Action must be taken. The uni just sentence
must be said. Pilate dares delay no longer
Plate sits in the seat of judgment. Beside
him stands the innocent prisoner. Before
him is the raging multitude. For moment
he stops their clamor. "Behold your King!'
he says. And they all cry out: Away
| with Him! Away with Him! Cruelty
Him. Plate saith unto them: "Shall
cruelty your .Klng?" The chief priests an
swered: "We have no King but Cesar"
Plate delivers Jesus to be crucitied.
Suffered under Pontius PLATE" Thus
day by day in the confession of our faith
we take that Roman Governors name upon
our lips. Pontius PLATE will never be for
gotten. Wherever the story Of the Passion
is recited, and wherever the message of sal
vation is preached among men, the part
which PLATE PLAYED will have its record
And yet not by any means such bad
man was PLATE. Not so bad as Caiaphas,
not so bad as Herod, not so bad as the COM
pany of priests, not so bad as the rabble of
jews Our Lord Himself said that the
burden of 'greater sin" rested upon other
shoulders than Pilates. Only well-mean-
ing weak man; with good intentions, but
not strength enough to carry them out;
With Quick Conscience,
but without obedience to it, with dim
sight at spiritual things, with some appre-
citation, with some faint recognition of the
holiness, the mysterousness, the uDearthli- |
ness even of Him who stood at his judg- |