An Unlikely Sentence

Gospel: John 18: 1-19: 42

Imagine the following: You have spent the last three years following a man who goes from town to town encouraging people to repent of their sins.  In every town in which he goes, he heals people of their infirmities, he liberates them from the demons that plague them, and he nourishes them at table fellowship.  He owns no weapons and rejects all calls to use violence.  He encourages others to give and care for the poor.

But today he is sentenced to a cruel execution by the religious and secular authorities who accuse him of being a terrorist and a threat to the state.  No evidence is brought against him.  His execution was had solely by a mob organized by religious and secular forces that yelled false claims, called for his execution, and threatened violence if their demands were not met.  And so this man of mercy and love meets his earthly end.

If this story sounds familiar, it is because this scene is played out time and time again throughout our world.  Jesus is the victim of this day, but he is so in the person of so many people today unjustly and falsely accused of the same and denied due process of law - all at the hands of religious leaders and the secular state.  Jesus told us not to weep for him, but for ourselves and our continual crucifixion of him in the person of others day after day.  Every day is Good Friday...