FAUSTI - "So then he delivered Him." It's the inevitable consequence of the premise. Pilate, the powerful, must suffer it, because he has not decided according to conscience. Jesus, without having been condemned, is consigned to death on the cross. Pilate, the representative of political power, sacrifices justice and loses his legitimacy: he recognizes himself unjust. His washing his hands (Mt27,24) does not justify it. At the end of the trial, Pilate does what he does not want: he condemns the innocent. But even the leaders do what they do not want: they accept Caesar's dominion. No one does what he wants : each does what the other wants from him. So they cooperate in doing what is evil, until the maximum evil is done: the killing of the righteous. In this way, all together, without knowing it or wanting it, and in the most crooked ways, they realize God's plan (Acts 4:27): they enthrone the King of Glory. The true King, just and free, thus fulfills His and our Easter. By showing us that God whom no one has ever seen, He frees us from the blindness that keeps us slaves of death. John does not tell us about Cyrene and the women that accompany Him (Lk 23:27): instead, he presents Jesus who lifts and carries the weight of the cross of His own free will. And he does it "for His own sake", to His advantage. In fact, the Son is interested in carrying the wood that saves His brothers and sisters. Jesus, carrying the cross, fulfils the Father's command: He has the power to give life. He is thus fully realized as His Son, equal to Him: He reveals His Glory. He carries it "like a king his scepter, a sign of his glory, of his unibversal sovereignty over all...like a victorious warrior the trophy of his victory" (Thomas Aquinas). Jesus carries on His shoulders the signs of triumph (Chrysostom) , on His shoulders rests the sovereignty . (Is 9,5). "He went out" Jesus is not led away, nor taken to Golgotha. He goes out by His own free decision, just as He went out of the city to go into the garden (18,1), just as He went out to meet the darkness (18,4), just as He went out of the praetorium to show Himself with the royal insignia (19,5). Now He goes out to enter another garden, where the tree of life will bear fruit and the triumph of love will be celebrated. That is why He came out of God, from the Father (16,28- 17,8). His life as Son has always been necessarily a "going out". The king, the Messiah/Bridegroom, judge of the world, in the place called the litostat, in Hebrew Gabbata, sat on the seat. Now, in the place called skull,('An ancient tradition places the skull of Adam at the foot of the cross. He who took death from the tree, now, at the foot of the cross, receives life') in Hebrew Golgotha, He ascends to his throne: the cross. The disciples, at first, asked him: "Where do you dwell?" (1,38). Now they see where the king of Israel, the Son of God, dwells: on the cross. The cross is the conjunction of opposites: heaven and earth, east and west. A sign of order and communion, it unites high and low, embracing every distance. In it the four dimensions of the cosmos intersect: it is the center of everything. The enthroned king is not Alone. At His side there are two other companions, who are like Him. They are the first of those for whom Jesus said . "I want them to be beside me where I am, so that they too may contemplate my Glory" (17:24).
-->"Two others" are not others from Him, but "two others", besides Him, who are in the same condition as Him: they are at the side of Him who is on His throne. Two is the principle of multiplicity. These two represent all the crucified of history: the poor and the hungry, the afflicted and the persecuted, those who are like Christ, even without knowing Him. To these are added those who, for Christ, will take their defenses and suffer the same fate. All the victims of evil, each of the multitude of "suffering servants", form the court of the Lord and our God. Placed on the same throne, they are our judges and saviors (Mt 25:31). >All that has been written there is accomplished: every letter has become Spirit and Life. That is why Paul says he knows nothing except Jesus, the Crucified Messiah (1 Cor 2:2). In Him are hidden all the treasures of Wisdom and Science (Col 2:3), in Him dwells the fullness of divinity (Col 2:9). His Flesh is the Epiphany of God. Paul's proclamation does nothing but describe and paint the Crucified One to the life, the Crucified One. (Gal 3.1). He is all Scripture. The cross is God's necessary badge in His Love for this lost world. "It is necessary" that the Son of Man be lifted up (3:14): only His sight is an antidote to the poison of the ancient lie. For the cross is the infinite distance that God has placed between Himself and all our images of Him. Jesus means 'Lord save'. On the cross Jesus realizes His Name. It is the Lord who saves man. The whole of Scripture can be understood in the light of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus (2,22- 13,19- 14,29- 16,4): Moses, the prophets and the Psalms describe the necessity of the Passion of the Messiah. The Shepherd reigns as the 'Lamb who takes away the sin of the world' (1:29). His cross represents both the hatred of the world and the unconditional Love of God, who overcomes evil with good. This is His way of being King. On the cross is fulfilled what Zechariah prophesied: "The Lord will be King of all the earth and there will be only the Lord, and only His Name" (Zac 14:9). They tell Pilate to change the title, writing that He is a self-styled king of the Jews. Pilate does not change it. The inscription remains immutable. This is the new Scripture, universal and eternal. What was written then, remains valid forever: he who contemplates the Crucifix sees the Glory , to the face uncovered. The new Scripture is readable in every language: in Hebrew, the language of the promise, so that the religious do not presume, but welcome salvation; in Latin, the language of the dominators, so that the powerful may be convinced of their helplessness; in Greek, the language of the wise, so that they may know their own foolishness. Thus we are all saved by grace. Looking at the cross, every language proclaims that "Jesus is Lord" "the Name above all other names" (Phil 2:9-11).
FAUSTI - "So then he delivered Him." It's the inevitable consequence of the premise.
RispondiEliminaPilate, the powerful, must suffer it, because he has not decided according to conscience.
Jesus, without having been condemned, is consigned to death on the cross.
Pilate, the representative of political power, sacrifices justice and loses his legitimacy: he recognizes himself unjust. His washing his hands (Mt27,24) does not justify it.
At the end of the trial, Pilate does what he does not want: he condemns the innocent.
But even the leaders do what they do not want: they accept Caesar's dominion.
No one does what he wants : each does what the other wants from him.
So they cooperate in doing what is evil, until the maximum evil is done: the killing of the righteous.
In this way, all together, without knowing it or wanting
it, and in the most crooked ways, they realize God's plan (Acts 4:27): they enthrone the King of Glory.
The true King, just and free, thus fulfills His and our Easter.
By showing us that God whom no one has ever seen, He frees us from the blindness that keeps us slaves of death. John does not tell us about Cyrene and the women that accompany Him (Lk 23:27): instead, he presents Jesus who lifts and carries the weight of the cross of His own free will. And he does it "for His own sake", to His advantage.
In fact, the Son is interested in carrying the wood that saves His brothers and sisters.
Jesus, carrying the cross, fulfils the Father's command: He has the power to give life. He is thus fully realized as His Son, equal to Him: He reveals His Glory.
He carries it "like a king his scepter, a sign of his glory, of his unibversal sovereignty over all...like a victorious warrior the trophy of his victory" (Thomas Aquinas).
Jesus carries on His shoulders the signs of triumph (Chrysostom) , on His shoulders rests the sovereignty . (Is 9,5).
"He went out" Jesus is not led away, nor taken to Golgotha. He goes out by His own free decision, just as He went out of the city to go into the garden (18,1), just as He went out to meet the darkness (18,4), just as He went out of the praetorium to show Himself with the royal insignia (19,5).
Now He goes out to enter another garden, where the tree of life will bear fruit and the triumph of love will be celebrated.
That is why He came out of God, from the Father (16,28- 17,8).
His life as Son has always been necessarily a "going out".
The king, the Messiah/Bridegroom, judge of the world, in the place called the litostat, in Hebrew Gabbata, sat on the seat.
Now, in the place called skull,('An ancient tradition places the skull of Adam at the foot of the cross. He who took death from the tree, now, at the foot of the cross, receives life') in Hebrew Golgotha, He ascends to his throne: the cross.
The disciples, at first, asked him: "Where do you dwell?" (1,38). Now they see where the king of Israel, the Son of God, dwells: on the cross.
The cross is the conjunction of opposites: heaven and earth, east and west.
A sign of order and communion, it unites high and low, embracing every distance.
In it the four dimensions of the cosmos intersect: it is the center of everything.
The enthroned king is not Alone. At His side there are two other companions, who are like Him.
They are the first of those for whom Jesus said . "I want them to be beside me where I am, so that they too may contemplate my Glory" (17:24).
-->"Two others" are not others from Him, but "two others", besides Him, who are in the same condition as Him: they are at the side of Him who is on His throne. Two is the principle of multiplicity. These two represent all the crucified of history: the poor and the hungry, the afflicted and the persecuted, those who are like Christ, even without knowing Him.
RispondiEliminaTo these are added those who, for Christ, will take their defenses and suffer the same fate.
All the victims of evil, each of the multitude of "suffering servants", form the court of the Lord and our God. Placed on the same throne, they are our judges and saviors (Mt 25:31).
>All that has been written there is accomplished: every letter has become Spirit and Life.
That is why Paul says he knows nothing except Jesus, the Crucified Messiah (1 Cor 2:2).
In Him are hidden all the treasures of Wisdom and Science (Col 2:3), in Him dwells the fullness of divinity (Col 2:9).
His Flesh is the Epiphany of God.
Paul's proclamation does nothing but describe and paint the Crucified One to the life, the Crucified One.
(Gal 3.1).
He is all Scripture.
The cross is God's necessary badge in His Love for this lost world.
"It is necessary" that the Son of Man be lifted up (3:14): only His sight is an antidote to the poison of the ancient lie.
For the cross is the infinite distance that God has placed between Himself and all our images of Him.
Jesus means 'Lord save'.
On the cross Jesus realizes His Name. It is the Lord who saves man.
The whole of Scripture can be understood in the light of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus (2,22- 13,19- 14,29- 16,4): Moses, the prophets and the Psalms describe the necessity of the Passion of the Messiah.
The Shepherd reigns as the 'Lamb who takes away the sin of the world' (1:29).
His cross represents both the hatred of the world and the unconditional Love of God, who overcomes evil with good. This is His way of being King.
On the cross is fulfilled what Zechariah prophesied: "The Lord will be King of all the earth and there will be only the Lord, and only His Name" (Zac 14:9). They tell Pilate to change the title, writing that He is a self-styled king of the Jews. Pilate does not change it. The inscription remains immutable. This is the new Scripture, universal and eternal.
What was written then, remains valid forever: he who contemplates the Crucifix sees the Glory , to the face uncovered.
The new Scripture is readable in every language: in Hebrew, the language of the promise, so that the religious do not presume, but welcome salvation; in Latin, the language of the dominators, so that the powerful may be convinced of their helplessness; in Greek, the language of the wise, so that they may know their own foolishness.
Thus we are all saved by grace.
Looking at the cross, every language proclaims that "Jesus is Lord" "the Name above all other names" (Phil 2:9-11).