Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-05
CHRIST FRAMED"
SAYS MACLACHLAN
Tells Why Plate Delivered
Jesus Up to Be Cru
cited.
"AFRAID OF HIS JOB"
Feared Wrath of PopuIace
That Clamorcd for Life
Of Savior.
"AFRAID OF HIS JOB"

Declaring that PLATE delivered
Christ up to be cruciNcd because he
was afraid OF his job Rev. II -
g. Macischian. -. u. In Seventh
street Christian Church Yesterday
morning, preached tho third OF
series OF sermons on The SLAYER.
of Christ" He spoke. in part. as
follows.
We nave considered two Of the
torces-traditionaiis and cons,itu-
uonaiiem-that we're Instrumental
in bringing Jesus 10 the cross But
neither nor both 81 these would have
brought the issue 20 it's hnai catas-
trophe. had ~ not been for another
motive. cAem3iihed IN IA. person OF
J'tiate. the Roman governor. ] mean.
OF course. Cowardice.
! need scarcely remind you that
IN" jews at that tim" were "A subject
ration. Ju1"a was itoman prov
iuce. and IN the rractorium. eat Pr
late, tn. procurator. representative
uf the Roman power. without whose
formal sentence Jesus could not
have been legally executed. Tho
very charge brought against Him
when arraigned before Piiate-that
lie called Himself tn. King Of tn.
J"ws-was on" specially fabricated
TO give HIS accus.rs legal standing
IN the Roman court, FOR the charg"
~ hiasphemy--I will destroy this
temple and ~ thr". days | Viii
Iuiid II again. which was the gi.t
az tho Indictment before the Sanhe-
drin-wouId have been summary
dismissed by r!late. The Romans
with all their faults. we're great
colonial governors. and paid small
attention 20 the religious and social
,guabbl.> 81 their subject peoples
provided always their innate sens"
az order was not outraged by any
uprising or disturbance. % the pub
lie peace. The case, therefore.
though on false cvidcnce-'fra ID
IN a. We would say today-camr
regularly before pllatc. and he
could not rcius" To- hear it.
WINS "Nobohyh Fn"l.r
How did he deal with it, with
great deal OF perFpicacity and
common .cnsc-up To q certain point.
lie WAS uubvdy's fool and had no
idea OF being made eats paw OF by
mob lnfiannd by the cunning Of a
lot Of priests. whom he desDised.
Besides. 1t was perfectly evident TO
him that Jesus was no dangerous
person from the point Of View Of
Rome HIS symparhies were with
Him from arraignmcnt I" sentence.
Tha, lies on the face Of the nara
i've. Pilatc wanted 10 set Jesus
free First. after brief and appar-
entity private examination. ne cam"
ont to the people and reported: ]
nnd no fault In this man. hut the
crowd cried out: HE stirr"ih up
III. people, teaching throughout all
.rcwry. beginning from Galii"~ 10
,h!s place ON hearing OF Galtiee.
piia,c prickcd mp his ears. Was Je.
,us Galilcan? and, on being told
,h,, He was he tried to dodge the
ISSUE by sending Him to Herod. on
the plea that being Galil"an me
prisoner belonged I" that jurisdic-
lion. but Tho conscience OF that SUI
perstitious old fox was still uneasy
about the murder OF tn" BAPTIST. and
he very politely refused 10 'pull ihe
chestnnts ont OF the are for ms Eo-
man colleague Then plate tried To
take advantage NJ the custom Z" r"-
lease some prisoner on the occasion
nf tho Passover. and proposed that
no release Jesus. But the crowd
would have none Of IT, and cried
.Not this man. but Barahbas fhIate
demonstrated. hut was countcred
With the swelling chorus: CrucitF
Vim cruelty Him. Once more Pr
lar. said: what evil hath He done?
md no cauae Of death In Him. ]
viii therefore. chast,se Him and let
lilm GO hut 10 no purpose. the
voices OF the mob prevailed and
puats delivered Jesus up TO he cru
cifed.
lie wn. Cownrdiy.
why? Because he was n coward
lie feared the Jews. Though Ro-
man procurator. he knew two things
full we'll: First. that Rome would
call him to account for any riot that
among a people so fanatical g the
Jews might easily break out upon
the release OF Jesus: and. secondly.
that tho leaders OF the Sanhedrin
loved him already none too we'll. and
would make all the capital they
could out OF the fact that he had
released prisoner accused of trea-
aon.. In other words. he was afraid
az his Job. Of his future. He was
more politician than man. lie feared
public opinion He dared not do the
thing he ought. His failure was due.
not to ignorance. like the mob. nor
to hiEotry. like the Pharisees. nor
90 ciass-consciousness. like the Sad
ducocs. but to moral weakness
How familiar II all ls! PLATE
does not stand alone His progeny
Is legion. Fear Is at all times a
Destroying agent. but never more
destructive than when 1t makes us
violate tho clear voice OF conscience
for personal advantage. 1t Is a
worse ain than drunkenness or even
Inst. because II IS moro essentially
selfish II murders TO live. And we
are all open TO It's seduction None
of uH II exempt. We are afraid OF
being laughed Mt: We arc afraid OF
losing our jobs: we are AFRAID OF
being called cranks and fanatics
No are afraid that we will lose caste
with our social circle: we are afraid
we won't be reelected to ONCE; we
ARE afraid OF everythlnE-but God