Jesus on Trial

Here is Duccio Du Buoninsegna's early 14th century depiction of Jesus on trial before the religious hierarchy. They are in a huddle among themselves and with the witnesses, trying to get their story straight. We see Roman helmets and spears behind them . The high priest rips his shirt when hearing Jesus speak the "blashempy" of close identification with God. Peter looks nervous out in the courtyard at left. Two locals question him about his relationship to Jesus who stands silently, hand's tied, in the middle.

53 Then they led Jesus away to the High Priest's house, where the chief priests, elders, and doctors of the law were all assembling. 54 Peter followed him at a distance right into the High Priest's courtyard; and there he remained, sitting among the attendants, warming himself at the fire.

55 The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some evidence against Jesus to warrant a death-sentence, but failed to find any. 56 Many gave false evidence against him, but their statements did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave this false evidence against him: 58 'We heard him say, "I will throw down this temple, made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands."' 59 But even on this point their evidence did not agree.

60 Then the High Priest stood up in his place and questioned Jesus: "Have you no answer to the charges that these witnesses bring against you?' 61 But he kept silence; he made no reply. 

Again the High Priest questioned him: 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?' 62 Jesus said, 'I am; and you will see the Son of Man seated on the right hand of God and coming with the clouds of heaven.' 63 Then the High Priest tore his robes and said, 'Need we call further witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy. What is your opinion?' Their judgment was unanimous: that he was guilty and should be put to death.  Mark 14:53-64

Verse 53: These guys have a plan and have gathered to put it into action. Their gang-up paints a sad picture: all this power (indeed - religious power) assembled against Jesus who shunned power.  

Power is the original sin - not dis-obedience, gluttony, lust. "Eat this fruit and you'll be like God," the serpent said to our parents in the garden. Power: "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" "I give the orders around here," "Only I can fix these problems," "I was just joking." Calling people names is power abuse. Mocking immitation and laughter is power.

Verse 54: Notice that Peter is hanging around from a safe distance. Not a few Christians live their religious lives from a distance. They wear some religion, know a priest or a nun, step into a church for a  holiday or funeral, "say" a prayer when there's trouble. We might call Peter the patron saint of those who follow Jesus from a safe distance.

Verse 55: What a bunch, heh? They're digging around looking for some sound-bite they can slap on Jesus that will land him the death-penalty. Religion issuing death penalties - yikes! Pretty hard to believe this still happens: beheading, crucifying and stoning Christians, murdering a gay teenager, killing a young girl who picked her own boy friend - from a different religion.

Verses 56, 57: Many gave false witness. That means they lied about Jesus. Somebody likely made some money on it. But they weren't good at it and the contradictions were all over the place. Sounds like a modern day political scene: walking back stories, changing press releases, bold-faced denials, changing stories, conflicting stories, blaming others, concocting accounts, spin.

Verses 58, 59: "We heard him say..." This is religion without a real spiritual grounding. Religion needs poetry, image and metaphor to express inexpressible, divine things. When religion is reduced to insisting on the black and white, then that religion becomes a weapon to be used against people. Dangerous. I can have all my bible verses in good order - all my proof texts memorized and at-the-ready like arrows, and still not know God. How sad is that: to be so religious and still not know God.

Verses 60, 61: The high priest stands up at his authority chair as if to say, "Now everyone be quiet and I'll get to the bottom of this." But Jesus is silent. He has accepted his death but won't play their game. Am I ever silent? We can be so wordy, noisy, busy, agitated, fussy, that God's voice doesn't stand a chance. Jesus penetrates the talk-y world of these men. Their boldness will stand exposed on judgment day.

Verse 62: When Jesus is asked if he is the Messiah, he answers, "I am, and you will see..." He seems to be putting a judgment on his accusers, as if to say, "God will judge you for putting an innocent person to death." Fourteen year old Emmett Till from Chicago was hanged while visiting his relatives in Mississippi on August 28, 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Key word: allegedly. Let's not think Jesus is concerned only with his own phony trial.

Verse 63: High drama! The words Jesus speaks, "I am" - these are divine words, and so the high priest tears his clothes when he hears the blasphemy. Blasphemy is a God insult. Some people love to use these kinds of handy weapon-words against others: abomination, heresy, heretic, heterodox. They are power words that allow some folks to feel good about themselves. Some sexual things are called abominations, and the religious doctrines of others. But I've never heard anyone call bombing a school full of God's children an abomination, or turning our God-given paradise world into a garbage dump an abomination. Human beings often get it really wrong.

Verse 64: Their judgment was unanimous. They thought they were right because they all agreed. Power in numbers!