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CHAPTER XIX.

The continuation of the history of the passion of Christ.

1. Tunc ergò apprehendit Pilatus JESUM et flagellavit.

2. Et milites, milites, plectentes coronam de spinis, impossuerunt capiti ejus, et veste purpureâ circumdederunt eum.

3. Et veniebant ad eum et dicebant: "Ave, Rex Judæorum!" et dabant ei alapas.

4. Exivit ergò iterùm Pilatus forås, et dicit eis: "Ecce adduco vobis eum foràs, ut cognoscatis quia nullam invenio in eo causam."

5. Exivit ergò JESUS portans coronam spineam et purpureum vestimentum. Et dicit eis: "Ecce Homo."

1. Then, therefore, 'Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him.

2. And the soldiers, platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head; and about him they put a 'purple garment.

3. And they came to him, and said: "Hail, King of the Jews! and they gave him blows.

4. Pilate, therefore, went forth again, and saith to them: Behold, I bring him forth to you, that you may know that I find no cause in him.

5. (So Jesus came forth, "bearing the crown of thorns, and the purple garment.) And he saith to them: 'Behold the man.

Pilate's intention in scourging Our Lord was to appeal to the pity of the Jews. We shall see further on that he tried—after another interview-more earnestly to save Him from their fury.

There were two species of scourging. The Jewish which was thirty nine stripes, and the Roman which was not limited. Our Lord is generally supposed to have been ordered the Roman.

The crowning with thorns was the doing of the soldiers, who were prompted or bribed to do so by the envious Jews. There is a difference of opinion about the place in which these outrageous proceedings took place; but it is traditionally believed, and S. Mark supports the belief, that the scourging took place in public,

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and that the crowning was in the atrium in presence of the soldiers and attendants. They amused themselves with this barbarity whilst waiting for the governor.

'Pilate took Jesus.-Venerable Bede and a few others think that Pilate performed the scourging with his own hand; but such a thing was always done by the soldiers.

2Crown of thorns.-This was a very cruel torture, and no pity was shown to Our Redeemer.

Purple garment.-This being one of the insignia of a king they were resolved that their mockery should be perfect.

"Hail King of the Jews!-There was something providential in the fierce mocking and scornful shriek of these Roman soldiers. Our Lord was the King and recognised as such even in derision.

51 bring him forth to you.-The crowning with thorns must have been in the soldiers' quarters. They took him into another atrium different from that in which the Jews were assembled. Pilate then brought Him forward in the sad plight to which the scourging and crowning had brought Him in order to make a more powerful appeal to their mercy.

"Bearing the crown of thorns.-The true King was presented to them, and He was received with Crucifige!

"Ecce Homo. Behold the man.-Pilate thought that the sight of Jesus would touch their hearts and that they would clamour for His release.

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6. Cùm ergò vidissent eum pontifices et ministri, clamabant dicentes : "Crucifige, crucifige eum!" Dicit eis Pilatus: "Accipite eum vos et crucifigite: ego enim non invenio in eo causam."

7. Responderunt ei Judæi: "Nos legem habemus, et secundùm legem debet mori, quia Filium DEI se fecit."

8. Cùm ergò audîsset Pilatus hunc sermonem, magis timuit.

6. When the chief priests, therefore, and the officers had seen him, they cried out, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Take him you, and crucify him : for 3I find no cause in him.

7. The Jews answered him: "We have a law; and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

8. When Pilate, therefore, had heard this saying, "he feared the more.

The pitiable spectacle might have moved some people in the crowd to ask for the release of Our Lord; but time was not given for any such effect. The chief priests and the officers shout out at once for His crucifixion and they are soon followed by the multitude.

The multitude which assembled to witness the trial were neither friends nor followers of Our Lord. The news of His capture could not be spread very far so early in the morning. His friends were also afraid to come. The crowd then, must have been composed of the friends and dependents of the Scribes and Pharisees, who waited only for a signal from their leaders in order to follow. This explains the unanimity with which the shout of Crucify Him was taken up and vociferated so persistently. Pilate now is quite disappointed and says tauntingly; take him yourselves if you dare-but when he hears that He called Himself the Son of God, he becomes quite alarmed.

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The chief priests.-The sight of Our Lord rendered them worse. What obduracy of heart was theirs!

2Crucify Him.-They wished to have the most shameful kind of death to be found for Him whom they hated so deeply.

31 find no cause in Him.-There is a double force in this taunt. You may be evil enough to crucify a man without any cause, but I am not. Take him, if you will, but I shall not be privy to your doings.

We have a law.-In Leviticus xxiv. 16, it is written: "He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, dying let him die.”

He made Himself the Son of God.-They abandon their first pleas seeing they had no weight with Pilate, and now have recourse to a new one. They mean the real son of God, for they considered themselves as adopted sons.-They understood perfectly the claim which Our Lord made and established by so many deeds of wonder and arguments.

He feared the more.-He was already afraid of Our Lord. His mien, His calm grandeur and patience struck Pilate. Now he hears this, and imagines Him to be the son of some pagan god or other. He does not like to incur the anger of such.

Jews:

1st. Incapable of pity.
2nd. Incapable of justice.
3rd. Incapable of reasoning.

Pilate :

Ist. Catering for the goodwill of the rabble.

2nd. Not disposed to do wrong.

3rd. Had not courage enough to do right.

9. Et ingressus est prætorium iterùm, et dixit ad JESUM: "Undè es tu?" JESUs autem responsum non dedit ei.

10. Dicit ergò ei Pilatus: "Mihi non loqueris? Nescis quia potestatem habeo crucifigere te, et potestatem habeo dimittere te ?"

11. Respondit JESUS: "Non haberes potestatem adversùm me ullam, nisi tibi datum esset desuper. Proptereà, qui me tradidit tibi majus peccatum habet."

12. Et exindè quærebat Pilatus dimittere eum.

9. And he entered into the hall again, and he said to Jesus: "Whence art thou? But Jesus 'gave him no answer.

10. Pilate, therefore, saith to him: 'Speakest thou not to me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee.

11. Jesus answered: Thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above. "Therefore, he that hath delivered me to thee hath the greater sin.

12. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him.

S. Luke records three (xxiii. 4, 15, and 22) and S. John two attempts on the part of Pilate to release Our Lord. It would seem from the twelfth verse here that he tried other means which have not been recorded. He may have offered terms to the priests and suggested other compromises.

This last attempt was brought about in a remarkable manner. He leaves Jesus in the inner peristyle or court, and comes out to the Jews, who would not enter for fear of becoming unclean.

He wants to know from Our Lord's own lips what His origin is, and Our Lord refuses to tell him. Then Pilate begins to bully Him, and Our Lord calmly shows the judge who is the better informed. He (Jesus) is a judge of sins and consciences, whereas others are but judges of external things.

Touching upon the supernatural, touches Pilate with fear, and he dreads more than ever the wrath of some Jove or Hercules. One thing is clear, that Pilate acts more through fear than any other impulse.

'Into the hall again. He goes to have another examination of his prisoner, whom he is more inclined to believe.

2Whence art Thou ?-Art Thou from heaven or from earth? He knew well enough what part of the country He came from.

3Gave him no answer.-Pilate could not understand anything of the Incarnation, and would likely ridicule the whole thing.

4Speakest Thou not to me ?-There is a slight touch of oppression in these words. Pilate is not accustomed to what he considers contempt of

court.

"That I have power.-He wants Our Lord to be instructed in the importance of a governor's office, and to understand that His life is in his hands.

"Given thee from above.—This is a new doctrine to Pilate, who thought his power came from Rome.

"Therefore. The influence is explained thus:-Although you have received this power, you used it against Me only in an official way, and against your best feelings. Those who delivered Me up are much more guilty.

8Thenceforth.-Pilate had but to say one word. That word was not to be said. Our Lord was not to be released. His hour was come, but the men who carried out the designs of heaven were not the less guilty.

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