The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-11-19
sUNDAY MEDITATION.


16.
lone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated aboye.l
SUBJECTS: I. The SOLDIERS PLAYING CHRIST
WAS KING. III. PLATES DELIVERY OF
CHRIST TO BE CRUCIFIED.
/. CHRIST a QUAsG-EING.
1. Preliminary.
Il is still our painful duty 70 study the
events Of the last day Of our S3vior's life. We're
the history not too we'll verified 20 be doubted,
We would imagine il recOunts deeds too cruel,
too shameful 10 be true.
2. Data
We find three accounts: St. Mt. 27 30;
st, NIX. 10 1919; St. John, ~: Is. Sc. Luke
does not refer 10 the conduct Of the soldiers
when they were making believe Christ was a
temporal, civil King. SIS. Matthew aud John
probably were eyewitness. 81. Peter was
also present and, since st. Mark probably wrote
very much at the dietation Of 81. Peter, we
have the account Of another eyewitness. The
report by ST. Mark st. Peter is very full Of
particulars. The events doubtless lett deep
impression on SITS. Matthew, Peter and John.
3. Time
We date March Is, A. D. %, Friday morning,
at say, 3 o'clock. Christ was nailed % the
Cross little afterward.
T. Piace.
We learn from St. John, IS: %. 80. that the
trial took place in the Judgment Hall We DO
not know the nature Of the structure nor its
location in jerusalem. Plate was the Pretor
or Governor, and his official headquarters had
the name Pretorium. IL has been thought the
Judgment Hall was some part Of tho residence
OF PLATE, and this view has support to an extent
from the fact the wife Of Plate not to have
been far of. Isl. Mt, p 49, And yet we are
led TO think more public place filter for such
proceedings as would in the general order Of
events come before the principal Roman official.
| Jealous monks show travellers Of to-day in Je-
rusalem the place additionally known as the
| Pretorium or Judgment Hall.
Pilates settled residence was at C8sarea, the
Roman metropolis of Palestine, SO miles from
! jerusalem. Bat he went to the Jewish Capital
10 be present at the grand festivals for the pur-
| pose OF maintaining order and especially at the
! Passover, so az TO release sOm0 one prominent
| prisoner. (St. Mt, q 10; st. Lu., %: H.
5. The Facts.
1 Optimistic theologians are they who seek 10
\ make the best showing Of any historic charac-
/ ter-they who wish TO have deeds so explained
! as TO be credtable as possible % human nature.
/ Men Of this class try 20 make themselves be-
I lievs PLATE was not, after all, so bad So they
/ intimate the purpose in having Christ scourged
was 20 prevent the crucidxiOn Of Jesus. He
\ hoped the Sanhedrim would become moved to
/ pity by the suiIerings Of Christ under the LASH
| and cry out Enough; let him 90" The eX-
| pertinent ALLOWING this was Pilates plan) did
! not work. The people would not be satisfied
} with anything less than the death Of the claim
/ snt b Messiahship.
/ The seourging was not inflicted by PLATE In
| person. bat by certain Roman soldiers. whip
/ ping-pO5t professionals II is quite plain the
! scourgiug was not with rods, but with the
! fagellum. This was like the Russian knout
Several thongs strips Of leather were fastened
20 D handle Of wood. On the thongs were rows
| Of leaden balls, or spikes Of wood or bone The
victim was stripped to the waist, with hands
tied and body bent over upon q platform or
post. The punishment was very severe, the
b0ly being laceraied and covered with blood.
Having scourged Christ. the body Of soldiers
proceeded 10 amuse themselves at his expense.
/ They knew he was hated by the Jews, because
he claimed to be their King. Further they
knew the claim Of Christ was reasonable,
judged from the Roman standpoint. Let us
play he is King" say they. So they put on
him a scarlet (purple) cloak as though he were
in the Taiment OF a real King. But King
must have crown. They make one from
! twisted brier bushes or thorns, and press it
down about his head, the scratches making
way for streams Of blood. Then. one cannot be
( King without a scepter. Finding a reed stick
I they place it in his palm, pretending il is a
| symbol Of royalty. Now we have a King in
4 form. Subjects own duties 20 their regal head,
reverence and obedience and royal acclama-
tons. So the crowd fall down on their knees
in the most obsequious manner, exclaiming
" Hail. King!"
firing Of sport. the soldiers look on Christ as
a weak man, selfdeeeiYed or a base deceiver,
and conduct themselves accordingly. They
| sugtched of the purple cloak. They struck
him over the head with the reed cane. They
1 spitted on him with utter contempt. They
cuTed his checks.
How Of the synagog who witnessed such bar
barity2 Are their hearts touched? Has PLATE
| gqined his point and satisfied the cruel demand
Of the rabble2 1t never pays to compromise
/ with evil. The conduct Of PLATE was shame
ful. We cannot see how a ruler, after investi-
eating a charge and finding the accused limo
cent, could hand him over for even a dagella-
ton lie could not expect a crowd fierce
enough to demand crucifxion would rest con-
tent with the whipping OF the victim Of their
| wrath. The contemplate policy principle Of
the Governor Of Judea can never be q success
on the long run.
O. Tie Cr01rn
Much has been said and written as 70 the
nature Of the crown Of thOrn5.
The famous painter Guido gave the world
that wonderful production of art, "Ecco
Homo" He and painters in general have
I represented the crown as MAZE OF Dare thorn
branches twisted into circular shape and press
ed down on the head Of Christ.
A correspondent Of the New York Herald
takes exception to this representation. lie
says: "SOme years ago an incident that Oc-
Cured in the Holy Land caused me to think that
this popular belief may be a mistake. party
Of Us who were journeying toward Jerusalem
at this season Of the year which is identical
with the passion and death Of the Master, had
stopped TO rest aud lunch just after entering
the hill country, some miles beyond Ranileh,
when u lady Of the party who was gathering
tho beautiful flowers that covered the landscape
Oh all sides wreathed an exquisite spray, and
holding il up exclaimed: The crown OF
thOrus!'
Our party were delighted with the wreath
and upon examining il we found that long
sharp thorns were concealed by the lovely pink
flowers. We were convinced that this was the
true crown, aud as we advanced toward Jeru-
salem we saw that the whole country, even
to the walls of the city, was covered with this
Towering thorn.
THE plant and flower are similar to what
we commonly call the Towering almond, with
tho addition of the thorn. The bloom is thick,
so that by merely entwining branch wreath
is made, while the long, sharp thorns, set out
at right angles about an inch apart, make it a
painful crown TO wear upon the human brow.
when We remember that the soldiers who
dressed our Savior with the purple robe and
crown did it as a mOekery, it is reasonable to
| believe that they chose this plant, which was