May 3, 2010, John 19

Key Verse:

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They clothed Him in a purple robe and went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck Him in the face.”

(John 19:1-3)

Central Truth:

Living out our Faith makes it easier to defend.

"Et tu, Brute?"

When I was about five, my Mom took me to see a play about Jesus. Around halfway through the play, a somber mood hung heavily over the church. Then, the Roman actors started nailing Jesus to the cross. Before my Mom realized what I was doing, I had sprung up from our pew in the back. I leaned forward and yelled at the Romans: “STOP IT!! STOP hurting Jesus!!” I was furious. The audience glanced back over their shoulders and laughed. My Mom gave it her best shot to quietly explain “this isn’t real.” Since I refused to calm down, she had to take me outside.

But it was real. It really did happen. When I read these verses, I can see Jesus in my head. I see Him suffer through the agonizing pain. I can see the soldiers brutally attack Him “again and again,” and worst of all: mock Him as they do it. When I read these verses and see the images today, it still makes me mad sometimes.

But how often do I stand up and shout at "Romans” today? Not very often. So why not? Why don’t I stand up more often in everyday life? True, the attacks on Jesus today are more subtle. The slow erosion of our core values is not such a vivid picture as a gang of soldiers repeatedly striking Jesus in the face. I’m not really “shocked into action” when someone uses His name in vain. And when what passes as “normal” in our society becomes gradually more sinful every day, it’s harder to notice. So yeah, I guess I could stop right there and blame my ambivalence on that.

However, I think the real reason I don’t stand up is much more chilling. It’s because deep down, I know that I too, am a Roman soldier. It’s because I know that I’m a hypocrite. Every time I sin, whether it’s anger, disobedience, pride, or whatever else, it’s like I’m the one striking Jesus. It feels like I’m the one mocking Him myself. MAN, I hate that. The reason He had to endure such pain and ridicule is because of my sin and yours. For me, that is powerful motivation to work harder at making the wise choice every day.