The Yale expositor., 1895-05-10


ture, passes a poor,
pale. sick young man of 49, already con-
demned TO death. on his way to be con-
demned again. Jesus of Nazareth is his
name.
Coming out to meet him on this tes-
sellated pavement is an INSCRIPTIONS,
compromising, timeserving cowardly
man, with a few traces Of sympathy
and fair dealing left in his composition
Governor Pontius PLATE. Did ever
such opposites meet? Luxury and pain,
selfishness and generosity, arrogance
and humility, sin and holiness, mid
night and midnoon.
The bloated-lipped governor takes the
cushioned seat. but the prisoner stands.
his wrists manacled. In a semi-circle
around the prisoner are the Sanhedrists,
with flashing eyes and brandished fists,
prosecuting this case in the name of re-
ligion, for the bitterest prosecutions
have been religious prosecutions; and
when Satan takes hold Of a good man
he makes up by intensity for brevity
OF occupation. If you have never seen
an ecclesiastical court trying man,
then you have no idea of the foaming
infernalism of these old re-
ligious Sanhedrists. Governor Pill
ate cross-questions the prison
er, and finds right away that
he is innocent and wants to let him go.
His caution is also increased by some
one who comes to the governor and
whispers in his ear The governor puts
his hand behind his ear. so as to catch
the words almost inaudible. 1t is mes
sage from Claudia Procula, his wife,
who has had dream about the inno-
cence of this prisoner and about the
danger of executing him. and she
awakens from this morning dream In
time to send the message to her hus-
band, then on the judicial bench. And
what with the protest of his wife, and
the voice of his own conscience. and
the entire failure Of the Sanhedrists to
make out their case, Governor PLATE
resolves - discharge the prisoner from
custody.
But the intimation OF such n thing
brings upon the governor an equinoctial
storm of indignation. They will report
him to the emperor at Rome. They will
have him recalled. They will send him
up home, and he will be hung for trea-
son. for the emperor has already sus-
picion in regard to PLATE, and that sus-
picion does not cease until PLATE is
banished and commits suicide. So Gov
ernor Pontius Plate compromises the
matter, and proposes that Christ be
whipped instead of assassinated. So the
prisoner is fastened TO low pillar, and
on his bent and barred back come the
thongs of leather, with pieces Of lead
and bone intertwisted, so that every
stroke shall be the more awful. Christ
lifts himself from the scouraging, with
flushed cheek and torn and quivering
and mangled flesh, presenting a specta-
Gle of suffering in which Rubens, the
painter, found the theme for his great
est masterpiece.
But the Sanhedrists are not yet salts
fed. They have had some Of his nerves
lacerated; they want them all lacerat-
ed. They have had some of his blood;
they want all of ii, down to the last
corpuscle. So Governor Pontius PLATE,
after all this merciful hesitation, sur
renders to the demoniacal cry Of Cru
city him. But the governor sends for
something. He sends a slave out to get
something. Although the constables are
in haste to take the prisoner to execu-
ton and the mob outside are impatient
to glare upon their victim, a pause is
necessitated. Yonder IL comes, a wash
basin. Some pure, bright water is
poured into ii, and then Governor Pill
ate puts his white, delicate hands into
the water and rubs them together, and
then lifts them dripping, for the towel
fastened at the slaves girdle, while he
practically says: ct wash my hands Of
this whole homicidal transaction. 1
wash my hands of this entire response
bility; you will have to bear it," That
10 the meaning Of my text when 1t says:
HE took water and washed his hands
before the multitude, saying, 1 am in
nocent Of the blood of this just person;
see we to it,"
Behold in this, that ceremony amounts
TO nothing, If there are not in II cor
Responsiveness of heart and life. 1t is a
good thing to wash the hands. God
created three-quarters OF the world
water and in that commanded cleanli-
ness; and when the ancients did not
take the hint he plunged the whole
world under water and kept It there
for some time. Hand washing was a
religious ceremony among the Jews
The Jewish Mishna gave particular di-
rection now that the hands must be
thrust three times up to the wrist in
water. and the palm of the hand must
be RUBBED with the closed INST or the
other All that well enough for gym
Dol, but here in the text is n man who
proposes to wash away the guilt of a
sin which he does not quit and of which
he does not make any repentance. Pr
lates wash basin was dead failure.
Ceremonies, however beautiful and
appropriate, may be no more than this
hypocritical ablution. In fancy we may
be sprinkled from the baptismal font,
and i'm manhood we may wade into deep
immersion. and yet never come to moral
publication We may kneel without
prayer. and bow without reverence, and
sing without any acceptance. All your
creeds and liturgies, and sacraments,
and genu1ections, and religious convo-
cations amount TO nothing unless your
heart-life go into them. When that
bronzed slave took from the presence Of
PLATE that wash basin he carried away
none of Pilates cruelty, or Pilates
wickedness, or Pilates guilt.
Nothing against creeds; we all have
them either written or implied. Moth
ing against ceremonies; they are of in
AVnff 10 tno n