The Good Book Club, Saturday 13 Feb 2021. Mark 15:16-32 CRUCIFIXION
And they crucified him. Why did this happen, why was this done? In those days of the Roman Empire crucifixion was common for punishing criminals to make a horrific example. Excruciating pain, humiliating naked (the loincloth shown in art is an absurd nod to modesty and supposed decency, those crucified were hanging there obscenely naked with all the human dripping and dropping and blood oozing), hang on the cross "for the rest of your natural life" be it hours, days, or screaming weeks, die and corpse left there to be pecked at by birds, and by wild dogs as rotting body pieces fell to the ground. The cruelty was unspeakably evil. Crucifixion was, at least in the "western world", perhaps the worst of man's official inhumanity to man until the Germans of the Third Reich - - who, redivivus, presume to rise again in our Time, offending creation with their very Being.
Here's today's reading for TGBC. If you want to compare other versions of Mark's story, the links are there.
16 Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together. 17 They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head. 18 And they began to salute Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”
19 They kept striking His head with a staff and spitting on Him. And they knelt down and bowed before Him. 20 After they had mocked Him, they removed the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.
21 Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.
22 They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull. 23 There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.
24 And they crucified Him.
They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take.
25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26 And the charge inscribed against Him read:
THE KING OF THE JEWS
27 Along with Jesus, they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.
29 And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save Yourself!”
31 In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.