Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/731

 of justice  or  law  condemned  Him  to  death; He  was  the  Victim  of  those who hated  Him,  and  who  savagely  and  imperiously  demanded  His  death.

Who was  guilty  of  our  Lord's Sufferings  and  Death? — 1. Pilate bore a guilt  which  the  washing  of  his  hands  could  not  wash  away. He knew and  testified  that  Jesus  was  innocent,  and  was  not  worthy  of death  — and  yet  he  condemned  Him  to  be  crucified. By doing  this  he abused  his  power  and  violated  the  laws  of  justice. He sinned  against the fifth  commandment  by  condemning  Jesus  unjustly,  and  thereby  causing His death. 2. The  Jews,  and  especially  the  chief  priests  and  ancients, were even  more  guilty  than  Pilate. They delivered  their  Messias  to death,  and  killed  Him  with  their  sharp  tongues,  by  means  of  false accusations. It is  true  that  they  did  not  quite  know  that  Jesus  was  the Son of  God,  as  St.  Peter  testified  in  his  discourse  after  he  had  healed the man  born  lame:  “Brethren,  I know  that  you  did  it  through  ignorance” (Act. 3,  17). But their  ignorance  and  unbelief  were  both  wilful,  because they let  themselves  be  blinded  by  pride  and  envy,  and  shut  their  eyes to the  light  of  faith  which  streamed  on  them  from  the  life,  words,  and wonderful works  of  Jesus. 3. However,  neither  the  malice  of  the  Jews nor the  weak  compliance  of  Pilate  could  have  caused  our  Lord’s  death, had not  the  eternal  counsel  of  God  decreed  that  His  Incarnate  Son was to  die  to  redeem  us  from  sin  and  eternal  punishment. It is, therefore, our  sins  which  bear  the  real  burden  and  guilt  of  our  Blessed Lord’s sufferings  and  death,  and  cry  out  louder  than  His  bitterest  enemies: “Crucify Him  I Crucify  Him!”  Let  us,  then,  beat  our  breasts  and  say with S.  Alphonsus:  “Mercy  and  pardon,  O eternal  God,  for  by  our  sins we have  nailed  Thee  to  the  Cross!”

Temporal authority  is  from  God.  “Thou  shouldst  not  have  any power against  Me,  unless  it  were  given  thee  from  above”,  said  our  Lord to Pilate. God is  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  from  Him  comes all authority  and  power; so  that  all  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  command others ought  to  exercise  their  authority  in  the  name  of  God,  and  according to  His  will.

Fear of  man  led  Pilate  to  condemn  our  Blessed  Lord  against  his convictions, for  he  feared  the  displeasure  of  Caesar  more  than  the displeasure and  vengeance  of  heaven. It was  fear  of  man  which  also caused St.  Peter’s  fall,  and  which  is,  every  day,  the  cause  of  countless sins. The true  fear  of  God  drives  out  human  fear,  and  bestows  fortitude; and he  who  cares  for  the  praise  or  blame  of  men  more  than  for  the praise or  blame  of  God,  acts  in  a cowardly  manner  and  has  no  living faith. Our Lord  warns  us  against  human  respect  in  the  strongest  terms: “Fear not  them  that  kill  the  body  and  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul”, He says  (Mat.  10,  28),  “but  rather  fear  Him  who  can  destroy  both  soul and body  in  hell”,  i.  e.  the  infinitely  Holy  and  Just  God.

Israel is  no  longer  the  people  of  God.  With  wilful  blindness  God’s chosen and  highly-favoured  people  disowned  and  rejected  the  Anointed