The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-10-17
"PILATB
BEFORE JESUS" :"
A Sermon Preached at the
Delaware Avenue Bap.
tist Church by the
Pastor Rev. John
Shape.

| CAUs hCu 0dlu L u4IC uuUD
speakest thou not unto me? Knowest
thou not that have power to cruelty
thee, and have power to release thee
Jesus answered, Thou couldst have
no power at all against me. except i5
were given thee from above John
10: 1O.ll.
l stood not long since In Philadel.
phia. before Munkacsy's wonderful
[ painting "Christ before Plate. !"
This wonderful painting is the work
| OF a wonderful man who in his early
life met hindra nc.s enough to crush
the spirit Of many man less deter
mined, His original family name was
! Leib, but this was later changed in
honor of bis native Munkacs, where
he was born in 1874. Early In life a
vision Of noted artist at work gave
him the inspiration for his life's work.
At fi-St he met with ill success, once
painting the entire family of q tailor,
and receiving for payment winter
coat. Soon however success was as.
sured. Prizes at competitive Expo.
sili0ns came his way and with them
lucrative reimbursement. "Roas thug
Ears" "Easter Festivities" -" WED
ding Invitation" "Dressing the
Bride. ""The Last Days of a Con-
demned Man" we're but a few Of his
masterpieces. In 1873 he painted
"Blind Milton debating Paradise
Lost to hiS little Daughter. For
this he received the grand medal of
honor and the officers cross Of the
Legion of Honor. Art critics how.
ever, agree that Munkacsy's finest
work Is seen in ''Christ on Calvary"
and "Christ before Plate"
This last affords the suggestion for
the evenings sermon. Look with my
eyes for moment at that picture.
1t is large painting covering l
should say. nearly as much space as
the wall back of this platform affords
: On the great canvas are at least three
figures, Jesus, PLATE Caiaphas, an d
there are other figures. Here is a
rich old pharlsee; there. two judges
peculating as to the result: yonder
three priests earnestly arguing
among themselves the noted case:
here Roman soldier keeping back
the surgirg crowd: beyond Il snecr.
ing scoiler, and near him Il rough fel.
low with upilfted arms and open
mouth, crying "Crucify Him, ""Cru.
city Him..
There is but one female figure on
the canvas. What can u woman want
in such crowd as this. She is Il wo.
man with wondrous beauty. What
is that in her arms? 1t is baby as
beautiful as his mother. With the
delicate tenderness oi the poet the
artist has here symbollzcd the means
OF transferring the Christ idea to sue.
ceedlng generations.
She believes in Jesus. One can see
it in her face, ana she will tell her
child hereafter the story of this day,
and he in turn will tell the same to
others.
There are three characters we have
not yet described, Caiaphas, Plate,
Jesus.
CaiaphaS is standing on The right Of
the Roman governor, and with ear.
nest gesture and prejudiced word is
summing up the case, and pointing
with extended finger at the angry
populacc clamoring for His blood.
plate Is typical Roman. Fore.
head, brow, eyes, nose, chin, all show
this. On his head is u Roman Toga
On his face is depicted pity for Je.
sus, and fear (burn Of political ambi.
tjons) for himself One can not but
rity the vacilIating man as such
thoughts as the Scripture narrative
would lead US to-day, were passing
through his miEd.
And here Is Jesus. It Is the face of
a suffering human being, a man of
sorrow acquainted with human grief.
His hands are bound in front. On
his face no trace Of fear, but only
Guinness, strength, courage. He
does not tremb but stands erect and
iIgnitiCd before his accuSers, and his
judge. The marks Of sleepless ness,
but MT of helplessness are on his
cuuntcnanc &C.
lie endures the taunts and insults
as 'one rendered superior to them by
the consciousness OF His Divine mis-.
sion.' lie is looking into the face of
Plate In such searching way as to
cause many to wonder whether Plate
Is Judge or prisoner. Let us consi der
this for moment as we study these
two characters in this great trial.
Plate was Roman and as Cover.
nor was duty bound to see that jus.
tice and not prejudice should rule in
every case.
Roman law demanded three things,
public procedure, definate charges
md personal defence But Jesus had
had none of these.
The Jewish investiga tion (Which
really formed the basis for Pilates
condemnatory sentence) had been pri.
vate, the charges were indefinite, the
case one.sided.
Caiaptas had assembled the Sanhe.
irin at an uncanny hour OF the night,
perhaps calling some Of them from
beds Of slumbcr, and summoning wit.
lesses whose testimony differs to
heir own confusion, at last does the
lnmanly and unfair thing OF putting
'esus and forcing him to testify
lgainst himself, before any charge
mn be even slightly sustained.
And Gala phas Is even now appeal
ny to Pi!ate In the name OF Jewish
'atred and anger to pronounce the
entence for which they cIamor. !