The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-09
THE SUNDAY-sCHOOL LESSON.
March I'D, D Matthew XVI, 55-GS-
Jesus and C~ainphas.

IA tafuIhAS-
Even to those who believe only in the IMAM
liness' of Jesus. His base betrayal. His ignoble
d~esertion. illegal trial. and superlatively cruel
death, are enough TO touch their hearts TO
| deepest pity. As Renan says: His legend will
call forth tears without ceasing." . . To
| those to whom Jesus is divine. the successive
| scenes from Gethsemane to Golgotha are Gu
mulative in strong compunctions. Bloody sweat.
traitors kiss, bound hands. hurrying from court
to court. false accusations, blow on the mouth.
| mockery. the cry ''Crucifyi" scourging, the Via
Dolorosa. the crucifxion-their hearts are like
to break under such climatical sorrow.
1t is past midnight. but the devotees of an i'm
| periled ecclesiasticism are alert. With murder
| Gus jealousy they anticipate the delivery into
their hands of one for whom they had just paid
a goodly price-one who must be Immediately
put out Of the way, or their honors, powers. and
| emoluments be the forfeit. > Rich old
Annas PAGES the marble court Of his palace,
and listens for the footballs of the returning
band. He will soon have the satisfaction Of
looking into the face of the iconoclastic Galilean,
who has imperiled his vast revenues by twice
cleansing the temple of the trafhckers whom he
| had ~unlawfully licensed TO trade there. He will
see those hands bound with cords instead OF
plating cords into a whip TO drive out the buy
ers and sellers with. . Caiaphas. also
Annas's son-in-law, and acting high priest, is
on the qui vive to carry into execution his
Judgment passed three months before. namely,
that it were better that one should perish. with
out reference to his guilt or innocence. than
that the nation should be jeopardized.
The chief priests, scribes and Pharisees are an
ticipating with venomous pleasure the retalia-
ton upon one who has publicly denounced them
as serpents and vipers; who. with bold hand.
has snatched the mask from their unbridled
hypocrisy. and has likened them TO whitened
sepulchers. So all hell is alert that night to
enjoy to the full its short-lived triumph. . .
A sardonic smile passes over the face OF Annas
as his dull ears catch the tramp of the guard
at his very gate. He hurries into the grand
salon. and mounts his dals with tottering step.
The examination of Jesus here is purely in
formal. 1t is just such a courtesy extended
by Caiaphas to Annas as, a little later, PLATE
extended TO Herod. Ii will have weight, too.
with the multitude. that the condemned is first
arraigned before one who, according to Mosess
law, is still a high priest. . . . And by this
device time is gained to pack the jury In
the only court which Rome recognizes; and there
is a scurrying about for suborned witnesses.
such as to this day can be had for a price In
the lobby of almost any Oriental court. . . .
There sits the Sanhedrim in form Of a horse
shoe, the high priest at the toe" and a scribe
with ink horn and parchment at either cork"
In the space between the scribes stands the
accused, in full view Of the semi-circle of ven
cradles who sit cross-legged upon their crimson
cushions. Guilt is on the bench; inno-
cence IS in the dock. Not how TO deal Justly.
but how TO condemn. is the problem of the
court. How to find a verdict that will not too
~palpably outrage the forms OF justice. and one
which the Roman governor will ratify, a verdict
that will involve the EXTREMIST penaltv-tha,
is the desideratum. . . . As q sheen before
her shearers is dumb, so the Lamb of God
opened not His mouth. Silence is His best de-
Tense. The suborned witnesses demolished each
others fabric Of lies. Any tribunal not bent
upon conviction would have thrown the case out
Of court with contempt. BY His refusal TO plead
Jesus denied the validity of the process and the
jurisdiction of the court as constituted. . +. .
The silent. dignihed accused is fast throwing
the court into confusion. 1t is at its wits
end. when bold and interruptions caiaphas
makes his coup-de-main. He springs from his
red hassock. and. rushing at Jesus with rage
in look. gesture and tone, bids Him answer the
witnesses. . . But before the vociferating
Judge, with his soiled ermine, Jesus maintains
His imperturbable silence. A last e~xpedient Oc-
ours 10 the fertile mind OF Caiaphas. He will
put Jesus in the dilemma Of denying His mes
siaship by persisting in His silence. or afford
ing ground Of conviction for blasphemy by af-
hrming IL. BY most solemn adjuration he puts
Him under oath, and then propounds his cru
| ciaI question. . . . There Is not a moments
hesitation. The case against Him having ut
terly collapsed. He breaks His silence. He
furnishes them with the ground OF conviction.
which they had failed TO find. They do not
stop TO question whether His testimony is true
or not. 1t might readily be shown how His
character and career fulhlis the prophecies.
There are ten thousand witnesses Of His mes
sianio and woodworking power who might
have been summoned. But no, the case Is
prejudiced. the jury packed. the court bent on
conviction, not truth and justice. : With
Oriental and dramatic effect. Caiaphas tears his
costly robes into shreds from collar 10 hem.
and precipitately finds a verdict. and then pro-
ceeds to poll the jury. Thus Jesus.
His hour having come. surreneers himself into
the hands OF sinners. and voluntarily lays down
a life which no man could have taken from
Him.
THE STUDY LAMP.
The canons OF the Sanhedrim court were that
the accused was TO be esteemed innocent until
proven guilty; il was an axiom. The sanhedrim
was set to save. not to destroy life: the presi-
dent was 10 admonish witness OF the value or
a human life: counsel was 10 be provided for
the accused: the youngest judges were TO vote
first. in order that they might not be preJudiced
by the voice OF the elders: condemnation could
only occur the day after the trial had con-
Guided; a capital trial could not begin a day
! before a Sabbath or a feast: no criminal trial
could begin or be continued at night: no one