Early in the morning, the chief men and rulers of the people returned, and caused the Hands of Christ to be bound behind His Back, saying, “Come, Thou robber, with us ; come to judgment ; to-day shall Thy evil deeds be put an end to, now shall Thy wisdom be known.” And they led Him to Pilate ; and He, as though a culprit, followed them, though He was the most innocent Lamb. But when His mother, John, and the holy women (for they had gone forth very early in the morning, that they might come to Him) met Him in the cross-road, and saw Him dragged away by so great a multitude, amidst so many reproaches and insults, they were filled with an indescribable sorrow ; and this most bitter grief was mutual. For the Lord was deeply moved by the affliction of His friends, and especially of His mother. For He knew that He was the cause of their grief, and that their souls were nearly sundered from their bodies through it Contemplate, then, our Lord, and diligently consider every particular, for all is momentous and moving.
Christ, then, is led to Pilate ; and these women follow afar off, for they are not able to be near. He is accused of many things, and then Pilate sent him to Herod. But Herod rejoiced at this, desirous of seeing a miracle wrought by Him ; but He not only failed to obtain this, he did not get even a word from Him ; and therefore he judged Him to be a fool, and having clothed Him in a white robe in derision, he sent Him back to Pilate. See how, not only as a malefactor, but as a fool, he was regarded by them all ; but all this He bore with consummate patience. Behold Him, then, as He is led forward and backward, with downcast look, and lowly garb, hearing the shouts, reproaches, and mockeries of the populace; receiving now and then, perhaps, a blow from a stone, or some offensive and filthy missile. Regard, too, His mother and disciples, standing afar off in a state of unspeakable sorrow; and thence following Him. Then He is brought back to Pilate, those “dogs”1 following up their charges against Him with great zeal and persistency ; but Pilate, not finding any cause of death against Him, endeavoured to release Him. Thus he said, “I will chastise Him and let Him go.” O Pilate, you chastise your Lord ? Do you not know what you are doing? for He has done nothing worthy of death or of stripes ; you would be acting rightly if, at His bidding, you chastised yourself. But, however, Pilate commanded that He should be most cruelly scourged.
Then the Lord was stripped of His clothes, and bound to a pillar, and in various ways scourged. He then, so comely and abashed, “fairer than the children of men,” stands bare before them all ; His flesh, most innocent and tender, most pure and lovely, receives the hard and cruel stripes from those most base men. The Flower of all flesh, the Flower of all humanity, is covered with blows and bruises. His Royal Blood flows forth on all sides, from His whole Body ; wound upon wound, and lash upon lash, is added, until not only the scourgers but also the spectators were weary, and then He is ordered to be unbound. Tradition says the pillar had lasting marks of blood upon it.
Here, then, behold Him with a long and steady gaze, and if you feel no sorrow for Him, know that yours is a stony heart. Now was fulfilled what Isaiah the Prophet wrote : “When we saw Him, there was no form or comeliness that we should desire Him ; we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”2 O Lord Jesus, who was it who was so daring, so rash, as to venture to strip Thee? who those, still more daring, who bound Thee? who those, most daring of all, who with such extreme cruelty scourged Thee ? But Thou, Sun of Righteousness, didst withhold Thy rays ; therefore all was darkness, and the power of darkness. All seem more powerful than Thou. Thy love and our sin have thus made Thee appear powerless. Accursed be our so great iniquity, for Thou hast all this to bear.
Then the Lord, having been loosened from the pillar, they lead Him, thus bare and bleeding, through the house, to find His poor garments, which were scattered hither and thither by his executioners. Regard Him, then, attentively, thus suffering, thus shuddering with pain and exposure. For the Gospel says it was cold. But when He would have put on His garments, perhaps some most impious men snatch at them, saying to Pilate, “Oh, sir, He made Himself a King ; let us dress Him as one, and crown Him with royal honour.” Then they took a sort of robe of purple, and clothed Him with it, and they crowned Him with thorns. Behold Him, then, in every action, every suffering, for He does and suffers all they will. He wears the purple robe. He bears upon His Head the crown of thorns, He takes the reed into His Hand, while they bow the knee before Him, and salute Him as a king — He all the while holding His peace, and maintaining a most patient silence. Behold Him now in the bitterness of His heart, and most of all contemplate His Head crowned with thorns, and continually being struck with the reed. See how He receives the blows, with neck bowed down through extreme pain. For the thorns were very sharp, and pierced His most Sacred Head, which was consequently covered with blood. O wretches ! How one day will that Royal Head appear awful to your sight, which you now are striking ! For they mocked Him as one who had the will to reign, but not the power. But He bore all, for their cruelty was excessive ; indeed, they seemed unable to satisfy their desire to put Him to pain, and thus they gathered together the whole band of soldiers. And they bring Him forth before the people and before Pilate himself, thus put to scorn, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Behold Him, then, for the sake of God, how He stands with face turned toward the ground, while the whole multitude shout and cry, “Crucify Him,” mocking Him and scoffing at Him, as though they were wiser than He. See, too, how He deigns to appear without wisdom before the chief men and Pharisees, who seem now to have Him in their grasp, and are leading Him to a dreadful end. And thus not only pain and vengeance, but also reproaches, He suffered from them.
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