Mock Tribute
Who would have thought the way they mocked Jesus would become a symbol for his followers?
Pilate spoke to them again, "Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" They shouted back, "Crucify him!" Pilate asked them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him!" So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. - Mark 15:12-21
The soldiers laughed.
They made a crown of thorns and shoved it into his scalp while placing a robe on him. He was now a king, or at least he looked like one.
It was a selfie moment long before social media.
They just wanted to see him that way, for their own memories, I guess.
Little did they know that the image would stick.
So many centuries later, we walk the path with Jesus, reciting the prayers at each station, marking each fall, each humiliating moment until his death on the cross.
What is the lesson in all this?
What people do to discredit and abuse us could come back upon them in ways they never imagined.
Maybe the lesson for us is to wear the labels proudly, to stand tall in the mockery of fools.
When Jesus entered the city, he did so humbly, not like a king, and yet the people treated him royally, spreading their cloaks on the ground for his colt to trample, waving palms as they would for a hero.
The people were the ones the soldiers were mocking, but it didn't work.
In the end, all would see Jesus as the king they propped him up to be.
And his reign would never end.
More to come...