3rd Scriptural Station of the Cross

Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin (Luke 22: 66-71)

Prepare your setting. Are you in a distraction free place? Do you have a timer? What about a prayer journal and pen? Where can you sit or kneel comfortably?

Take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly. Set your timer.

Begin with the Sign of the Cross. Then pray: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Invite Jesus to visit with you. Tell Him of any concerns that are on your mind.

“Read” the image. Look from top to bottom, left and right. What strikes you? What people and objects do you notice? What symbols do you recognize? Ponder the message of the artist. Ponder what God is saying. I’ll share my thoughts as an example [in brackets], but your thoughts are what matter.

[I don’t like the light brown hair and beard of Jesus, the “white” Jesus. Jesus was an Israelite, from the Middle East. He would have had darker skin and hair. But then, Jesus is in everybody. It makes sense that artists saw Jesus as they saw themselves or maybe the audience they had in mind when they were painting. Every race color is beautiful but I still think Jesus should have black hair, medium dark skin and dark eyes.

What stands out to me is the High Priest Annas’ hand gesture. I can just hear him say, “You look here. You don’t know more than I do!” His white turban may be a symbol of his knowledge of God and the Torah. He was pure in that way. The letter of the law that made him miss seeing the spirit of the law and the possibility that Jesus could be the Messiah. His green garment is the color of green grass, like in summer. It’s not new growth like spring or new ideas. It’s a steady appearance of existing growth. Green is also associated with jealousy. Maybe the Chief Priests were enviousness that Jesus attracted so many, that Jesus was taking their audience (and power) from them. The green gown is covered by the red cloak (the fervor of his passionate position).

The man about to hit Jesus is dressed in traitorous bully yellow. He uses violence to make people comply. He is about power, not knowledge, not listening. That color is used on the clothes of the soldiers and the covering over Annas’ throne. Traitors. False teachings. They are both false kingdoms (Rome; and the Sandhedrins’ earthly ‘kingdom’). Jesus’ kingdom is in heaven (blue) and on earth in the hearts of righteous hearts.

One of the soldiers is holding his hand up to the bully like he’s saying, “settle down”.

Still, it had to be so hard on the Jewish leaders. They loved God. They wanted to defend God. Now Jesus challenged that faithfulness. I understand how difficult it was for them to accept the Messiah as He chose to come as a nonviolent, nonpolitical King, not as they imagined Him coming (a great King like David and Solomon who would stop all the injustices against the Jewish people.) I have the Bible and hundreds of years of ongoing commentary about the events these people were actually living. I can see now how the New Testament fulfilled the Old Testament. They were trying to process it all in real time.

But again, to meet Jesus in person! Wouldn’t His truth be easily seen? I can’t condemn them. I haven’t always readily seen truth myself. I just wish they hadn’t been so mean to Jesus.

Who is that guy behind the curtains? Is he looking at the supporter of Jesus, the guy in the green hat? There seems to be four fractions of people: the Jewish leaders, the Roman soldiers, Jesus, and the common Jews and Romans who are caught up in the fighting between the people in power. And Jesus is Lord of them all…]

What are your thoughts? What does the painting make you think about?

Meditate. Take time now to talk to God about the holy image. Tell Him how you feel and why. Talk to God as you would a friend. Respond to the messages that the artist sent in the painting and the ones God may be sending you in random thoughts.

[Jesus, you aren’t resisting. You are showing respect to Annas by looking and listening to him. It makes me feel …. It reminds me of today, of …. I know I need to better handle ….] Continue talking to Jesus until you’ve said all that you have to say.

Pray. Lord Jesus, help me encounter others with a willingness to listen and debate honestly. Use your prayer experience to add a sentence or two.

Contemplate. Now relax. Breathe. Close your eyes or gaze upon the image. God is working now. Lose yourself in the moment. Listen with your senses. Sights, sounds, emotions, thoughts and images. Enjoy God’s presence.

Save. When the timer sounds, write something to keep in your heart until your next prayer session. Something you promise to do or simply a feeling you don’t want to forget. An answer. An insight. A hope. Remember, you might hear God best in an unguarded moment after your prayer has ended. If so, make note of what God says.

Thank Jesus for visiting. End with the Sign of the Cross. Amen.

Thank you for joining us for this meditation. I look forward to praying with you again at the next Station.