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| The wing and hand of the angel with the cross symbolize the act of Mercy and represent those giving mercy as shown with the bandaged hand. The Caduceus represents the medical profession. The Chi Rho represents Christ and the bottomost symbol represents sickness and healing. |
There were very few ways to die in the ancient world that were more painful, humiliating, or excruciatingly drawn out than crucifixion. It was generally a punishment by Rome for political enemies or military traitors. They were strung up on a beam and crossbar by hand and foot, and than left until they died from exposure or wild animals. While they waited for death, they had to endure the agony of intense muscle exertion and cramping, as well as hunger and thirst. The depictions of Jesus being hung with no support under his feet are wrong; that would anatomically impossible to do to a person, and would defeat the purpose anyways of a long, drawn out death.
They were often crucified in public places, such as roadsides, so serve as an example to other would-be revolutionaries. In the 2nd century BC, after the Spartacus uprising, the gladiators who followed Spartacus were crucified all along the road from Tuscany to Rome, one every 100 meters. The public aspect was intended to bring great shame on the prisoners. To not have one's body anointed and buried upon death was the ultimate humiliation, as the people of Rome believed that you could not pass over to the afterlife with a proper burial.
And crucifixions were very, very ordinary. Hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions, of people were crucified during the extent of Roman Empire. People knew that the punishment for treason was generally crucifixion. It was a fairly convincing deterrent.
And, needless to say, it was very, very inhumane. That was kind of the point. It was to degrade their enemies, to shame them and bring them down to the lowest level of humiliation, that Rome did this. It was a particularly intense form of torture, and the death penalty, all rolled into one terrible act.
Jesus was crucified in this way. The man who had been declared King of the Jews, in direct contradiction to the Roman Emperor and King Herod, was strung up on a beam and left to die. He was shamed and humiliated and displayed publicly. It was a way for the Roman to deter future Messianic claimants, and by the Jewish leaders to mock the supposed prophet and Messiah. What Messiah suffers so long and so publicly? What Messiah allows himself to be exposed to nature and hunger and thirst and torture? What Messiah would allow his body, his personal Temple for the Lord to dwell in, to be degraded in such a way?
And yet, as He hung up there, Jesus asked for forgiveness for the one's who did this to him.
He didn't call out for vengeance. He didn't curse them. He didn't charge his followers with avenging his humiliating end.
He forgave. He asked for mercy for his tormentors.
Just as he did in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus instructed, "Blessed are the merciful." He continuously commanded his followers to love their enemies, to forgive them, to show mercy to those who commit wrong or persecute them.
If Jesus commanded our mercy, then what does it say about us as a nation that has executed 1,364 people since 1976? A nation that, in some places, makes no regard for minors or the mentally handicapped when it comes to death penalty punishments. A nation that has exonerated 143 death row inmates since 1973. How many innocent men and women have we wrongfully executed?
Did we learn nothing from Jesus' example? Jesus really did, under Roman and Jewish law, commit a crime. He got the punishment prescribed by the authorities for his treason to the Roman emperor. Why would we, as a nation, take on the retaliatory role of the empire, rather than the merciful role of Christ?
Jesus demanded mercy from us. He was able to forgive those who persecuted him, people who hounded him and tortured him and humiliated him and ultimately killed him. Can we not find it in us to show mercy to those who commit crimes here, in our time? Not to release them and act as if it never happened. But what right to we have to play God, to determine when someone's time on this earth is done. But taking that person's life, we are taking away any and all opportunity they may have to find redemption. We take away the opportunity for them to show remorse and ask for forgiveness. We lose our chance to follows Christ's example.
Jesus said, "Forgive them, they know not what they do." He was speaking of those who could find no mercy in themselves. He was speaking of those who felt that the best answer to violence was more violence. He was talking about us.
For a really good discussion and meditation on crucifixion, check out Robin Meyer's excellent book, Saving Jesus from the Church. This blog post draws heavily from the ideas in Chapter 3.
Read Part 1: Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Read Part 2: Blessed are those who mourn.
Read Part 3: Blessed are the meek
Read Part 4: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
They were often crucified in public places, such as roadsides, so serve as an example to other would-be revolutionaries. In the 2nd century BC, after the Spartacus uprising, the gladiators who followed Spartacus were crucified all along the road from Tuscany to Rome, one every 100 meters. The public aspect was intended to bring great shame on the prisoners. To not have one's body anointed and buried upon death was the ultimate humiliation, as the people of Rome believed that you could not pass over to the afterlife with a proper burial.
And crucifixions were very, very ordinary. Hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions, of people were crucified during the extent of Roman Empire. People knew that the punishment for treason was generally crucifixion. It was a fairly convincing deterrent.
And, needless to say, it was very, very inhumane. That was kind of the point. It was to degrade their enemies, to shame them and bring them down to the lowest level of humiliation, that Rome did this. It was a particularly intense form of torture, and the death penalty, all rolled into one terrible act.
Jesus was crucified in this way. The man who had been declared King of the Jews, in direct contradiction to the Roman Emperor and King Herod, was strung up on a beam and left to die. He was shamed and humiliated and displayed publicly. It was a way for the Roman to deter future Messianic claimants, and by the Jewish leaders to mock the supposed prophet and Messiah. What Messiah suffers so long and so publicly? What Messiah allows himself to be exposed to nature and hunger and thirst and torture? What Messiah would allow his body, his personal Temple for the Lord to dwell in, to be degraded in such a way?
And yet, as He hung up there, Jesus asked for forgiveness for the one's who did this to him.
He didn't call out for vengeance. He didn't curse them. He didn't charge his followers with avenging his humiliating end.
He forgave. He asked for mercy for his tormentors.
Just as he did in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus instructed, "Blessed are the merciful." He continuously commanded his followers to love their enemies, to forgive them, to show mercy to those who commit wrong or persecute them.
If Jesus commanded our mercy, then what does it say about us as a nation that has executed 1,364 people since 1976? A nation that, in some places, makes no regard for minors or the mentally handicapped when it comes to death penalty punishments. A nation that has exonerated 143 death row inmates since 1973. How many innocent men and women have we wrongfully executed?
Did we learn nothing from Jesus' example? Jesus really did, under Roman and Jewish law, commit a crime. He got the punishment prescribed by the authorities for his treason to the Roman emperor. Why would we, as a nation, take on the retaliatory role of the empire, rather than the merciful role of Christ?
Jesus demanded mercy from us. He was able to forgive those who persecuted him, people who hounded him and tortured him and humiliated him and ultimately killed him. Can we not find it in us to show mercy to those who commit crimes here, in our time? Not to release them and act as if it never happened. But what right to we have to play God, to determine when someone's time on this earth is done. But taking that person's life, we are taking away any and all opportunity they may have to find redemption. We take away the opportunity for them to show remorse and ask for forgiveness. We lose our chance to follows Christ's example.
Jesus said, "Forgive them, they know not what they do." He was speaking of those who could find no mercy in themselves. He was speaking of those who felt that the best answer to violence was more violence. He was talking about us.
For a really good discussion and meditation on crucifixion, check out Robin Meyer's excellent book, Saving Jesus from the Church. This blog post draws heavily from the ideas in Chapter 3.
Read Part 1: Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Read Part 2: Blessed are those who mourn.
Read Part 3: Blessed are the meek
Read Part 4: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
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