Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/195



I. After  Christ  had  been  thus  unjustly  pronounced  deserving of  death,  "then  did  they  spit  in  His  face,  and buffeted  Him,  and  others  struck  His  face  with  the  palms of  their  hands,  saying,  Prophesy  unto  us,  O  Christ!  who is  he  that  struck  Thee." (Matt. xxvi.  67.)  During  that night of  cruelty,  Christ  suffered  five  kinds  of  ignominy. 1. They  spat  upon  that  beneficent  being,  who  with  His spittle had  given  sight  to  the  blind,  speech  to  the  dumb, and hearing  to  the  deaf;  they  spat  upon  that  face which the  angels  adore,  and  which  just  souls  always  desired ardently  to  behold. " Show  us  Thy  face,"  said  the Royal Prophet,  "  and  we  shall  be  saved." (Ps. lxxix.  20.) During this  ignominy,  Christ,  like  a  meek  lamb,  verified the expression  of  the  prophet,  "I  have  given  My  body  to the  strikers  and  My  cheeks  to  those  who  plucked  them; I  have  not  turned  away  My  face  from  those  who  rebuked Me  and  spat  upon  Me." (Is. 1.  6.)  Is  not  Christ  treated in the  same  manner  now  by  all  sinners  as  He  was  then treated by  His  insolent  tormentors? Have not  you  yourself some  part  in  this  ignominy?

II. Consider the  second  kind  of  ignominious  treatment which  our  divine  Saviour  underwent:  "  And  they blindfolded  Him." (Luke xxii.  64.)  In  their  frenzy  His enemies attempted  to  veil  those  sacred  eyes,  before  which "all things  are  naked  and  open"  (Heb.  iv.  13),  and  to cover  that  divine  face,  before  which  all  nations  will  stand in awe  and  admiration. Every sinner  attempts  to  do  the same, in  order  to  sin  with  more  liberty  and  less  remorse; he does  all  he  can  to  hide  God  from  himself,  and  his sins from  God;  he  tries  to  adopt  the  expression  in  the