I wonder at the ones who, SEEMINGLY, were neither principals in the scene that awful Friday or central to its events. The so-called 'spectators' - people like you and me. I really, really wonder whether it was possible to be there that day only as a spectator.
"And the people stood beholding...." Luke 23:35
"And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned." - Luke 23:48
"And sitting down they watched him there;" - Matthew 27:36
These days we talk glibly about the ones who more obviously killed the Son of Man. Judas, the chief priests, teachers of the law, elders, Pharisees, the Roman soldiers, Pilate and Herod, and the crowd which preyed upon Jesus' life that day. We somehow draw consolation from not having picked up a cry for His death, at not having hurled insults, at not having picked up any of those nails, that whip. We think, perhaps, that our passivity, in one sense, vindicates us (we agree it is a small and cheap vindication but we clutch at it because the events that day were far too horrible for us to comprehend). That is, we think ourselves better than that list of hatemongers. Our only crime, we suppose, was that we did not speak up for Jesus or try to save Him from them.
But that misses the point entirely and cosmically.
Do you feel free of blame because you never did any of these things to the Son of Man?
- Plotted to kill Him (Matthew 26:4; Mark 14:1, 10-11; Luke 22:2-7; John 11:47-53, 57)
- Betrayed Him (Mark 14:10-11, 44-45, Matthew 26:47-49, Luke 22: 47-48; John 18:5)
- Forsook Him and fled (Mark 14:50, Matthew 26:56)
- Accused Him falsely (Mark 14:55, 15:3, Matthew 26:65-66; Luke 23:2, 5, 10)
- Bore false witness against Him (Mark 14:55-59, Matthew 26:59-62; Luke 22:65)
- Condemned Him guilty of death (Mark 14:64; Matthew 27:1)
- Delivered Him unto Pilate out of pure envy (Matthew 21:18)
- Persuaded others to ask for Barabbas and have Him killed (Matthew 27:20; Mark 15;11; Luke 23:18; John 18:40)
- Cried out, "Crucify Him!" (Mark 15:13 -14; Matthew 27:22; Luke 23:21, 23; John 19:15)
- Cried out to have His blood on "us, and on our children" (Matthew 27:25)
- Hurled insults (Mark 15:29-32, 35; Matthew 27: 39-44, 49; Luke 23:35-39)
- Mocked Him (Mark 14:65, 15:17-20; Matthew 26:67 - 68, 27:28-31; Luke 22:63-64, 23:11; John 19:2-3)
- Spit on Him (Mark 14:65, 15:19; Matthew 26:67, 27:28-31; Luke 22:63-64)
- Slapped Him (Mark 14:65; Matthew 27:28-31; Luke 22:63-64; John 18:22)
- Beat Him on the head (Mark 14:65; Matthew 27:28-31; Luke 22:63-64; John 19:3)
- Had Him flogged (Mark 15:15; Matthew 27:26; John 19:1)
- Sentenced Him to be crucified (Mark 15:15; Matthew 27:26; Luke 23:24; John 19:16)
- Disowned Him after following Him the best three years of your life (Mark 14:66-72; Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:15-17, 25-27)
- Crucified Him (Mark 15:24; Matthew 27:35; Luke 23:33; John 19:18)
- Divided up His only remaining possessions - His clothes (Mark 15:24; Matthew 27:35, Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24)
Maybe you were "innocent". But now you know what happened on that day. You know who He claimed He was. You saw the things He did. You were told of His love for you.
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On that stark, harsh hill, many stand around. Some confident, jeering. Some keeping watch and just doing one's duty. Some silently and openly weeping. Some filled with rage. Some absolutely broken in spirit and crushed. You assume that you were not there that day, because you think of the historical day.
All through the ages, you have never turned up on that stark hill. Some days you just passed by, a seeming "spectator". Some days you denied. Some days, you ran. Some days you just didn't care. Some days, rare ones, you thought about it for a moment or two. Perhaps for 3 hours on a Friday, sitting warm and ensconced in plush chairs, in church. You filled your mind with irrelevant details of the story. Dozed a bit. Felt a little sorry, some superficial sadness.
Never once did you blame yourself, though. Never once did you stand on that stark hill, of your own accord. Never once did you ...... own up.
That scene on that stark hill always misses ONE of its principals - YOU.
Because every time you push the story away, you are pushing away your one chance to stand with the truth. Every time you ignore it and deny it, you are saying that no one can care for you that much - to die for you. You're shaking your fist at God, saying, You are unfair. You don't care. You have no right to tell me what to do. You have no right to call my bluff.
You actually did not mock, insult, spit, beat, flog, betray, accuse, crucify, condemn or bay for the blood of the Son of Man. But your loyalties are clear - this story is not true, you say. And in so saying, you stand with the ones who said nothing, just stood around watching while the most heinous crime in the universe was committed. Whose side do you think these "spectators" were on that Friday? Have no illusions. They were allied with the hordes from the pit of hell and its king.
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Do you think "being 'good', living well and not harming others" makes up for your silence and complicity in the most heinous crime in this universe? The ONE TIME your vote mattered on the cosmic question of right and wrong, you kept mum and voted, by your silence, on the wrong side. Do you imagine your puny 'goodness' is going to make up for it?
On that hill, that Friday, the only innocent man in the world was executed little by little, publicly, with full murderous intent, in unspeakable and grisly agony, over a period of nine hours. He was murdered, with full intent and purpose, physically, emotionally and in every possible way, because He had the courage to say He cared about us and loved us enough to tell us the truth about ourselves. AND THE WORLD STANDS BY (present tense) WATCHING. Our silence indicts us all; it is our approval of His murder.
Over the years, there are many reactions to the death of the Son of Man; no one I've ever met disagrees that Jesus was entirely innocent. Which makes the hate, the murder, the indifference, even more inexplicable and tragic. The only explanation that rings true is this - His life indicted us, and we did not like it. So, we killed Him.
Come and take your place on that harsh hill like a man; either bear your guilt or stand with the hordes of hell forever. And look into the eyes of the Son of Man, hanging there half-dead, for you.
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
- Luke 23:34 (first part)
