Jesus is Crowned with Thorns

Pray to the Holy Spirit and then prayerfully read Matthew 27:27-31

Jesus is King. He is King of a Kingdom of love and mercy that has outlasted all the Kingdoms of Egypt, Greece, Rome that were powerful in Biblical times and a host of other kingdoms since then. It is a kingdom that is not of this world, so the world cannot comprehend it. It is a kingdom, where the cross is a throne and the scarlet of his blood was the colour of royal robes. So the crown of thorns rammed into his head is in keeping with the rest of the scenario. Terrible pain, humiliation, mockery, scorn, helplessness, abandonment, ingratitude add to his misery.

There are many victims of injustice, cruelty, power, greed, lust and anger, who are battered and broken on the crosses of daily life. Innocent children, helpless women, poor and illiterate folk who do not know their rights or are powerless to seek and receive redress, come to my mind. We can and should pray for them and do what we can to come to their assistance.

In such moments, we see that our world of money, power and comfort is as empty as a gas balloon. Good time friends disappear as fast as the air that escapes when the balloon is burst. But his kingdom lasts forever. Each one of us is anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit to make that kingdom of justice and love a reality now and to offer our services to make it break through into our sorry world.

There is no crown without a cross, we are told by the lives of the saints who walked in the footsteps of Jesus. May that crown also be ours as we persevere in our faith and do not lose hope and courage in moments of trial.

E-mail this article to a friend