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 with frivolous  contempt  and  “set  Him  at  nought”  as  a harmless  fool! The Eternal  Father  suffered  His  only-begotten  Son  to  be  ill-treated  and insulted, but  He  did  not  suffer  even  a shadow  of  guilt  to  rest  on  the Most Holy.

God turns  even  evil  to  His  glory.  The  chief  priests  and  scribes were obeying  the  dictates  of  hatred  when  they  demanded  that  our Blessed Lord  should  be  crucified. But while  they  thought  to  gratify their evil  passions,  they  were  unwillingly  and  unwittingly  carrying  out the decrees  of  God,  and  were  the  instruments  of  His  compassionate and divine  love. It was  the  eternal  counsel  of  the  Most  Holy  Trinity that the  Incarnate  Son  of  God  should  die  on  the  Cross  to  work  for  us “a  plentiful  Redemption”;  and  not  only  the  prophets,  but  our  Blessed Lord Himself  foretold  distinctly  that  this  was  to  be  (see  chapter  XV and  LV). Thus, while  His  enemies  desired  to  obtain  at  any  price  that Jesus should  be  condemned  to  the  ignominious  death  of  the  Cross, believing that  they  would  thereby  destroy  His  work  for  good  and  all, they in  reality  helped  to  complete  it,  and  to  fulfil  the  prophecies.

The kingdom  and  royal  dignity  of  Jesus  Christ.  Jesus,  the  humbled and suffering  captive,  spoke  truly  when  He  said  to  the  representative  of the  emperor  of  world- wide  Rome:  “I  am  a king!”  His  kingdom  is  a priestly  kingdom,  of  which  He  is  both  Priest  and  King,  and  which  He governs  by  offering  Himself  up,  and  conquering  the  hearts  of  men. He who had  not  where  to  rest  His  Head  declared:  “I  have  a kingdom, but it  is  not  of  this  world!”  This  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  is  His  holy Church. She is  in  the  world,  and  for  the  world,  but  not  of  the  world; she comes  from  heaven,  and  is  the  kingdom  of  divine  truth  and  grace. When our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  stood  before  Pilate  this  kingdom  was  very small, but,  since  then,  He  has  conquered  to  Himself  lands  and  nations over the  whole  face  of  the  earth,  not  by  force  of  arms,  but  by  the power of  the  Cross,  on  which  the  God- Man  offered  Himself,  and  which is the  sceptre  with  which  He,  as  King,  rules  over  His  Church. Still the Church  is  a kingdom  not  of  this  world,  for  her  object  is  no worldly  or  natural  one,  but  one  entirely  supernatural,  namely  the salvation and  sanctification  of  souls.

The hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees.  The  chief  priests  and  ancients pretended that  it  was  against  their  conscience  to  enter  the  house  of the  Gentile  governor,  but  it  did  not  give  their  false  consciences  even  a qualm  to  accuse  Jesus  wrongfully,  or  to  demand  the  death  of  One  who was innocent. They guarded  against  any  exterior  defilement,  but  it never  occurred  to  them  to  cleanse  their  hearts  from  hatred,  envy  and bloodthirstiness. We see  how  just  was  our  Lord’s  denunciation  of  the Pharisees: “Woe  to  you. . who leave  judgment  and  mercy  and  faith.” Those Christians  who  are  outwardly  pious,  but  who  nurse  hatred  and enmity in  their  hearts,  are  very  like  the  Pharisees!