The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-05-16
SUNDAY MEDITATION,
A Study Of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for May
26, 1896. a 6.'
Subject. Jesus on the Gross. ST. Mark, 10 22-


~
Subject, Jesus on the Gross. st. Mark, 10. 2e-
81.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from tho Holy Scriptures ne
1. THE PLACE of CHR1sT's CRUcIFIXIoN.
1. Data.
Read st. Mt, Of: SO; st. Mark. IS: %; st.
Luke, %: 33, as far as to the words called
Calvary; st. John, 10: IL, " into place called
the place Of q skull, which is called in the He
brew, Golgotha."
. Time.
We may say IL was about 10 minutes to 8
o'clock g. m. 1t was just before Jesus was
nailed to the cross. The year, month, and day
were A. d. 90 March 49, Friday.
g. Place
The words Golgotha and skull are equiva-
| lents-Golgotha being Syro-Cbaldee a corrup-
! ton of Chaldee. Golgotha was likewise called
Calvary, a Latin word, which also means skull.
We do not know why it was so named 1t has
| been said that the reason is the fact that the
skulls OF victims wero ueersd to lay about the
spet. Some think tho place something the
shape of skull 1t was the locality whore
public executions in that region were inflicted,
a sort Of Economic Scala, az at Rome. It was
without the gates; that is to say, outside
the walls of Jerusalem (Heb., ID: I2) and " nigh
| to tho city," st. John, 10: 20.
4. Suggestions.
From tho standpoint of the cruciiers Of
Christ it was fitting he be dragged out from
tho city. He WAS considered gross sinner, not
1T for society. Tho custom of having oxccu-
items outside of the city had symbolic sig
nifcance and sesthetic fitness: without
are dogs" etc. Rev., %: Is. Only the pure
must be tolerated in the new Jerusalem, tho
City of God. Hero is a suggestion rs to NUM-
cipal affairs. Cities are centers Of population,
radiating influences throughout the country.
officials should aim for integrity. Evil should
be cast out from the city. II our cities be pure,
exemplary, the whole rural region will be all
the better.
II. THE CRUcITIxroN.
l. Data.
Read st. Matt, 27:35, "And they crucified
him." 80; st. Mark, 10: 25 26, 81, %; st. Luke.
%: 30. SO, "th0ro they cruciGed him and the
malefacrors, one on the right hand and the
other on the left -; ST. Jshn, 10: Is.
g Time.
BY the statement "they crueifiod him." we
understand tho mailing him to the cross and
the elevation of the cross. They probably laid
the cross horizontally on the ground, fastened
tho victim to it, and then raised it erect. In
cases, however, they may have fixed the cross
act of the cruciaxion usuld not require much
time, say, Is minutes. But death by crucihx ien
was lingering process at times requiring saw
eral days.
There were three victims. Perhaps all were
first nailed to their respective erossss. The de-
tachment of soldiers may have consisted of
enough men to enable tho crueifxioas to prs
coed simultaneously. Heseo, perhaps. tho
squad that executed Jesus may have differed
from the men who nailed the thieves to their
crosses. teI
3. Place.
This corresponds with tho same in the para
graph above. d I.
4. Ealefac,or,.
We know little OF these st. Luke calls them
indicators or evifdeers Sts Matthew and
Mark style them thieves. They woro trans
gresssrs. Is, So 70; Sc. Luke. se:37. They
had really committed crime. Sac st. Luke,
st. Dimas.
5. Method Of Erec,ttion-
The method of fastening victims to crosses
varied, being sometimes by nails, at other times
by ropes. In this lessen nails wcro usoa. Tho
feet of cruGifed porssns reached to about "a to
SO inches from tho ground. On the treat per-
pendicular Of the cesss there was PEE, on
which the victim gained sone support fsr his
body, keeping it from ssgsing and tearing
had platforms en- which tho feet esuld rest
euabling the sufferer to romain moro erect
This nothod of execution was hsrrihie. 1t is
a very ancient custom. The Barn $50, Chinese
Knrds, Mahosaetans and other Hatisas have
prasticed it. Most Of the old nations, more
less. inflicted capital punishment by crucifx-
ion.
6. The Three Crosses.
Number one signifies cend emnatisn; number
.hnr 4
psntence-disssse, remedy and effect. There
are two sides. Who ia on the Lords sides
II. NARCOTIC REFUSED.
/. Data.
st. Mt, 1884; st. Mark. 1923.
9. Place.
Golgotha. Calvary, o place outside the walls
Of Jerusalem in northwest direction.
Though Calvary was probably . somewhat
elevated spot, yet it is mover called mount
ain. Jerome says it was the usual place of exc.
mental district.
4. The Anssthetic.
ST. Matthew says Vinegar mingled with
gall ~; st. Mark. wine Mingled with myrrh."
1t was some kind of Supplying draft. Prov,
81 6. The act of giving it was prompted by
a merciful impulse Of human nature, and not
INTENDED an insult. 1t has been quite GUS
tomary to give condemned criminals sene sort
of eeadening potion which might lessen the
pain of execution by mum biRg the senses and
disturbing the intellect. 1t is net unlikely the
Same favor was offered to the two thieves. And
yet if they drank they did not become uneon-
scious, since they revilcd Christ and tried to
make fun of him. st. Matt, 81: A. We
nstice Jesus declined to drink the meaicated,
poisoned beverage. Ps, 50: 81. Had tho
preferred potion been merely the wine or vine-
gar he might have accepted and drank, as later
on he did partake of said beverage. st. John.
10: 30. But Christ preferred to die wholly
conscious.
Roman practice permitted erecationers to
ease tho pains Of criminals suffering the death
penalty. by giving to them certain draughts
which dulled the senses. The methsd Of exc
cution might, in measure, determine the TT
ness Of such opiatss. CruoiGxisn was a long,
painful mode of death. In cases Of execution
by hanging. electricity, the guilotine, other
sudden process there would be no call for
stupsfaction. ~
Even capital criminals should not be treated
with unnecessary cruelty. It is often the case.
persons about to die wish for some Supplying
drink. 1t is a critical question in ethics, de-
handing the skill Of o casuist, to decide to
what extent exscutionors are warranted in
dulling the senses Of victim preparing for
the death penalty. Tho sentence pronounced
against the criminal never includes An opiate
left rather to the realm of mercy than of
justice. az
~. ALLOTMENT OF CHRIsT's RAIMENT.