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Gospel: Luke 23: 1-49
The elders of the people, chief priests and scribes,
arose and brought Jesus before Pilate.
They brought charges against him, saying,
“We found this man misleading our people;
he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar
and maintains that he is the Christ, a king.”
Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
He said to him in reply, “You say so.”
Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds,
“I find this man not guilty.”
But they were adamant and said,
“He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea,
from Galilee where he began even to here.”
On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
and upon learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was very glad to see Jesus;
he had been wanting to see him for a long time,
for he had heard about him
and had been hoping to see him perform some sign.
He questioned him at length,
but he gave him no answer.
The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile,
stood by accusing him harshly.
Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him,
and after clothing him in resplendent garb,
he sent him back to Pilate.
Herod and Pilate became friends that very day,
even though they had been enemies formerly.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people
and said to them, “You brought this man to me
and accused him of inciting the people to revolt.
I have conducted my investigation in your presence
and have not found this man guilty
of the charges you have brought against him,
nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us.
So no capital crime has been committed by him.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
But all together they shouted out,
“Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us.”
— Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion
that had taken place in the city and for murder. —
Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
but they continued their shouting,
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Pilate addressed them a third time,
“What evil has this man done?
I found him guilty of no capital crime.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
With loud shouts, however,
they persisted in calling for his crucifixion,
and their voices prevailed.
The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.
So he released the man who had been imprisoned
for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked,
and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.
As they led him away
they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian,
who was coming in from the country;
and after laying the cross on him,
they made him carry it behind Jesus.
A large crowd of people followed Jesus,
including many women who mourned and lamented him.
Jesus turned to them and said,
“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me;
weep instead for yourselves and for your children
for indeed, the days are coming when people will say,
‘Blessed are the barren,
the wombs that never bore
and the breasts that never nursed.’
At that time people will say to the mountains,
‘Fall upon us!’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
for if these things are done when the wood is green
what will happen when it is dry?”
Now two others, both criminals,
were led away with him to be executed.
When they came to the place called the Skull,
they crucified him and the criminals there,
one on his right, the other on his left.
Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
They divided his garments by casting lots.
The people stood by and watched;
the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon
because of an eclipse of the sun.
Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”;
and when he had said this he breathed his last.
Here all kneel and pause for a short time.
The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said,
“This man was innocent beyond doubt.”
When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle
saw what had happened,
they returned home beating their breasts;
but all his acquaintances stood at a distance,
including the women who had followed him from Galilee
and saw these events.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Joseph Schulz was drafted into the German army during World War Two.
Early one morning, his commanding officer ordered him and seven other soldiers to grab their rifles and to follow him.
Suddenly, Joseph found himself standing on top of a hill. Looking down, he saw an entire row of villagers standing blindfolded, visibly terrified.
Then he realized what he would be asked to do.
The commanding officer ordered him and the seven other soldiers to raise their rifles.
Joseph would have nothing of it. He dropped his rifle, instead.
After walking down the hill, he turned and faced his brothers, locked arms with one of the blindfolded villagers, and stood solemnly as the commanding officer issued the order:
“FIRE!”
***
Found inside Joseph’s coat pocket was a verse from Saint Paul:
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13: 6-7).
What is often recited at weddings – “love never fails” – made its way into war. Joseph believed it, and gave his life for it.
Love never fails.
***
Think about how many soldiers have been put into a similar position – and, equally, how many villagers have stood innocently blindfolded on the other side of that rifle.
Scenes like this, which we still see unfolding on the borders of Europe, raise age old questions like, “Why must people suffer? Why is there evil in the world? Where is God in all of this?”
These are the same questions the disciples must’ve wrestled with after enduring what we just heard in today’s Gospel.
Although it’s an incomplete answer – nothing can explain evil away entirely – part of the reason why we suffer is because of the abuse of human freedom.
Those seven other soldiers could’ve lowered their rifles. But they fired them, instead.
Meanwhile, Joseph Schulz chose to live and to die like Jesus.
***
Throughout his life, Jesus gave himself away. He healed, forgave, and served his neighbors. As a final act of freedom, he walked down the hill, as it were, turned and faced his brothers, and locked arms with the “villagers.”
Jesus stood in solidarity with all those who suffer in every time and place – with those who are weak, hungry, tired, poor, and who’ve died because of war.
Jesus didn’t prevent the evil of his crucifixion and death from happening. He accepted it. And then he overcame it.
On Easter Sunday, we will celebrate our belief that God has been raised from the dead! And we who believe in him shall rise, too.
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The words found inside Joseph Schulz’s coat pocket point to the very heart of our faith, which we must remember in dark days:
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, endures all things, hopes all things (even in life after death). Love never fails.”
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Image credits: (1) Fine Art America (2) Coppershop.ru (3) The Stone Table