Lest You Remain

Christ, tied at the pillar of scourging as the Divine Monarch—the Only Begotten Son of God, the Lord of men and angels. Understanding this attribute of Christ makes us grasp the extent of this crime of scourging. This was an outrage far greater than the scourging of a Roman citizen, Paul (Acts 12:25). 25 But Christ conducted Himself during this torture as a true monarch. He was not afraid of the whips, as the Israelites were fearful at their very mention, who came to King Rehoboam asking to remove the yokes placed on them by Solomon (cf. 1 Kng 12:14). The superhuman perseverance of the Scourged One witnesses this, that He endured at the pillar unperturbed and unconquered, while the execu- tioners probably took turns, exhausted by their effort. 26 Christ’s royal dignity shows itself ever more clearly at the crowning with thorns. Jesus at that moment reminds us of King Solomon, who had also been crowned in Jerusalem. But Solomon’s crown was gold adorned with precious stones, while Christ received a crown made of sharp thorns. Solomon was crowned for glory, while Christ—for infamy. Solomon’s head was crowned by his dearest mother, Christ’s—by the worst possible stepmother, the Synagogue. The elevation of Solomon took place on the day of his betrothal and with joyful heart; the humil- iation of Jesus—in sorrow, on the day of His death. 27 It also comes to the mind of the Servant of God, to equate Christ and the bride- groom in the Song of Songs , but here also appear contrasts (cf. Songs 5:10-16). 28 Scourged and crowned with thorns the suffering King, is immeasurably greater than both Solomon and the bridegroom in the enormity of His sacrifice, in patience, and perseverance. Realism is again seen in Fr. Papczy < ski’s writing on the Passion, when he meditates on Christ crucified. When the Savior spoke His last words, the blood streamed down from His pierced arms and feet. This blood soaked the wood of suf- fering, just as it previously soaked the scourging pillar. Truly at this moment was L EST Y OU R EMAIN W ITHOUT W ORK IN THE V INEYARD OF THE L ORD 204 25 „Aeterni rerum omnium Conditoris ac Domini Filius unigenitus, regnorum omnium atque caelo- rum, hominum et Angelorum omnipotens Monarcha, ab improbissimis daemonum satellitibus alli- gatus columnae marmoreae caeditur crudelissime”. Ibid., III, 1, s. 21. 26 „Stabat immotior sua columna; laetus insuper hilarisque profecto illa Prophetae versabat animo: ‘Ecce ego in flagella paratus sum’ [Ps 37,18]. O invictam animi fortitudinem! O inexplicabile pro nobis patiendi ardorem et alacritatem!”., III, 2, s. 25. 27 Ibid., IV, 3, s. 36 n. 28 „Olim ‘caput eius’ visum fuit sponsae ‘aurum optimum’, nunc spinae omnia, spinae. Olim ‘comae eius sicut elatae palmarum, nigrae quasi corvus’, nunc depressae, evulsae, conspurcatae. Olim ‘oculi eius sicut columbae super rivulos aquarum, quae lacte sunt lotae’, nunc tabe natantes. Olim ‘genae illius sicut areolae aromatum’, nunc pallidae, sputis faedatae, tumentes… Olim ‘species eius ut Libani electus ut Cedri’, nunc ceu vermis, opprobrium, abiectio. Olim ‘totus desiderabilis’, nunc totus miser- abilis”. Ibid., V, 3, s. 45.