Read Luke 23:1-48
“They kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him’!” Luke 23:21
In our Scripture for today, the ground is shifting. A young, first century, Jewish man has been preaching openly about the failures of the religious and the political institutions to live up to God’s call. He is calling individuals and institutions to a new relationship to God and to one another. He articulates that call as release from all forms of bondage: poverty, injustice, physical infirmities, oppression, and violence. He calls for peace and justice, forgiveness and love, even love of enemies.
While Jesus’ preaching and teaching was good news to the poor and the oppressed it caused alarm in those who were in charge religiously and politically. These folks could lose their power to dictate what one was to believe and how one was to behave. They could lose their ultimate weapon, the power to cast out or to kill those who got out of line. Something had to be done about Jesus.
We have long been tempted to blame the Jews and the Roman officials for Jesus’ death. But that lets us off the hook. Might we not see that the mob that cried, “Crucify him” is us? We can behave just like politicians, savoring and guarding our power, willing to compromise our values to maintain our power and position. We are the crowd, caught up in the hysteria. We are they who called for Jesus to die. How else can we really hear Jesus’ words and know the depth of their meaning? “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Rev. Fredda Minick
Prayer: Gracious Lord, Every time your vision for your creation is misrepresented and I am silent, I betray you. Every time one of your children is used, condemned, ostracized or denied simple human dignity and I am silent, I betray you. Every time I let anger or fear keep me from speaking up, I betray you. Only you can save me from my worst self. Thank you for counting me among those you forgave at Calvary. Amen.
