Tangled in their own words

Christ before Caiaphas – Giotto

Today’s Palm Sunday narrative of the Passion of Christ according to Luke struck me keenly in several places, which is the beauty of a living Scripture that can be ever illuminating. One such place was when Christ was taken before the Sanhedrin (the leaders of the Sadduccees, Pharisees and elders) and they tried to find something to pin on him.

“If you are the Christ, tell us,” but he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond.”

How true.

This narrative account records that

The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned him…”Who is it that struck you?” And they reviled him in saying many other things against him.

This mob mentality only strengthened throughout the day.

The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him…

And through all this, he said almost nothing. They wouldn’t listen or respond anyway, they only wanted more to hold against him.

But his response was earth shattering.

Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.

Forgiveness saves lives. And souls.