The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ 2. JESUS’ SUFFERINGS DURING THE JEWISH AND ROMAN TRIALS.

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ 2.
JESUS’ SUFFERINGS DURING THE JEWISH AND ROMAN TRIALS.

 The Gospel of St. Luke 22: 47-71 recounts the arrest of Jesus, Peter’s denials,  the mockery suffered from the guards, and his trials before the Sanedrin.

After Judas indifferently delivered Jesus to the temple officials with a kiss, Jesus was arrested and taken to Annas after midnight and then to Caiaphas, the high priest of that year. Peter followed him at a distance and when confronted by a maid, a woman and a man, all of whom testified that he was among Jesus’ followers, but Peter denied Jesus thrice, thus fulfilling what Our Lord said during the Last Supper.

Between 1 AM and daybreak, Jesus was tried before Caiphas and the Sanhedrin who found him guilty of blasphemy:

Then the guards “mocked him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him (Lk 22:63-65).”

After daybreak, Jesus was then tried before the chief priests and the scribes, presumably in the Temple, and again was found guilty of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death according to the Jewish law.

“And they all said, ‘Are you the Son of God, then?’ And he said to them, ‘You say that I am.’ And they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips (Lk 22:70-71).”

However, since permission is needed for such execution to take place, Jesus was brought to the governing Roman authority, Pontius Pilate. This time, however, he was cunningly presented by his accusers as a self-appointed king against the Roman rule, and not as a blasphemer, as previously condemned by the Sanhedrin. For what reason? His accusers wanted to assure that the death execution was to be handed to Jesus by Pilate.

Pilate, however, made no charges against Jesus and sent him to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Judas, who in turn, made no charges and sent him again to Pilate

POINTS FOR MEDITATION

1. Let us place ourselves in Jesus’ situation to realize what He experienced during that terrible Thursday night. For 12 hours, from 9pm of Thursday to 9am of Friday, without having rested and even slept during the entire night, Jesus suffered:

• ⁕ an intense EMOTIONAL STATE OF ANGUISH (evidenced by the hematidrosis);
• ⁕ GREAT INTERIOR SUFFERING caused by the WOUNDING BETRAYAL by Judas, HURTFUL DENIALS by Peter, disappointing ABANDONMENT by his disciples;
• ⁕ PHYSICAL BEATING AND HUMILIATION from the hands of the guards who spat on him and struck him on the face together with the reviling insults against the Son of Man;
• ⁕ and the TIREDNESS caused by being forced to walk from one place of trial to another, approximately 4,0 kilometers (Cf. William D. Edwards, et al., “ON THE PHYSICAL DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST” in “The Journal of the American Medical Association,” March 21, 1986, Volume 256).

2. See where PRIDE, ENVY AND HATRED can lead to?

• The scribes and Pharisees, out of envy and pride were blinded by their hatred, condemning an innocent man to death. And they employed all deceitful means to make Jesus suffer. Let us resolve to overcome our pride and envy in their most subtle manifestations.

3. Like the guards, we MOCK JESUS everytime we sin.

• Let us not forget that Jesus suffers anew everytime we offend Him with our deliberate sins. It is as if we subject him to the same physical beating, insult, humiliation and mockery, everytime we commit sins. Let us NOT SUBJECT JESUS TO FURTHER SUFFERING DUE TO OUR SINS.

In her vision, Anne Catherine Emmerich recounts:

• “Our Blessed Saviour was suffering the greatest outrages from the brutal soldiers to whom Herod had delivered him, that they might deride him as a fool.
• They dragged him into the court, and one of their number having procured a large white sack which had once been filled with cotton, they made a hole in its centre with a sword, and then tossed it over the head of Jesus, accompanying each action with bursts of the most contemptuous laughter.
• Another soldier brought the remnant of an old scarlet cloak, and passed it round his neck, while the rest bent their knee before him–shoved him–abused him–spat upon him–struck him on the cheek, because he had refused to answer their king, mocked him by pretending to pay homage–threw mud upon him–seized him by the waist, pretending to make him dance; then, having thrown him down, dragged him through a gutter which ran on the side of the court, thus causing his sacred head to strike against the column and sides of the wall, and when at last they raised him up, it was only in order to recommence their insults.
• The soldiers and servants of Herod who were assembled in this court amounted to upwards of two hundred, and all thought to pay court to their monarch by torturing Jesus in some unheard-of way.
• Many were bribed by the enemies of our Lord to strike him on the head with their sticks, and they took advantage of the confusion and tumult to do so.
• Jesus looked upon them with compassion; excess of pain drew from him occasional moans and groans, but his enemies rejoiced in his sufferings, and mocked his moans, and not one among the whole assembly showed the slightest degree of compassion.
• I saw blood streaming from his head, and three times did the blows prostrate him, but angels were weeping at his side, and they anointed his head with heavenly balsam. It was revealed to me that had it not been for this miraculous assistance he must have died from those wounds. ”

-Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, chap. XX

No more, Jesus, no more. I don’t want you to suffer more due to my pride, envy, malice, indifference, ingratitude… Grant me the grace to abhor and avoid that which would cause you further suffering. I ask you pardon for all my sins and the grace to offer up the sufferings I experience in my daily life in reparation for my sins and that of the whole world.

A Blessed day ahead!
Fr. Rolly Arjonillo

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PHOTO SOURCE: José Madrazo, “Jesús en casa de Anás”  in https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Jes%C3%BAs_en_casa_de_An%C3%A1s_Museo_del_Prado

FOR MEDITATIONS ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE PASSION AND DEATH OF OUR LORD, CLICK ON THE LINK.

SEE AS WELL:
1. THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/the-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-the-agony-in-the-garden/
2. THE JEWISH AND ROMAN TRIALS: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/the-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-jesus-sufferings-during-the-jewish-and-roman-trials/
3. THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/the-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-3-the-scourging-at-the-pillar/
4. THE CROWNING WITH THORNS: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/the-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-the-crowning-with-thorns/
5. THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/the-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-5-the-carrying-of-the-cross/
6. THE CRUCIFIXION OF OUR LORD
https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/the-crucifixion-of-our-lord-meditation-on-the-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-6-summary-vid-full-text/
7. GOOD FRIDAY: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/good-friday-it-is-finished-jn-1930/
8. HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.com/2016/03/13/how-to-meditate-on-the-passion-of-our-lord/
9. SUMMARY OF CATHOLIC TEACHING. THE PASSION AND DEATH ON THE CROSS: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/summaries-of-catholic-teaching-topic-10-the-passion-and-death-on-the-cross-of-our-lord-jesus-christ/

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