Guilt is Good (2014-04-18, Good Friday)

Good Friday April 18, 2014

[__01__]    In the legal system – whether fictional or real – we observe prosecutors and lawyers competing for a victory in the final decision or verdict. 

The legal venue – also with hardwood and raised seating and “uniforms” and raised voices – is a court with wins and losses, the “timeouts” of objections, victories and defeats. The court of the courtroom is a competitive place, albeit without a scoreboard.

[__02__]   Why was Jesus the Nazarene on trial in this courtroom on Good Friday? He was on trial for what he said and did.

What I’d like to reflect on here is why this guilty verdict is a victory …not in a legal sense for Pontius Pilate, not for the Pharisees, but in a spiritual sense for you and me.

[__03__]    In the reading from the Prophet Isaiah for Good Friday, we read the charge, the indictment of Jesus as the suffering servant, that it was

“our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

During this Holy Week and Passion Week, we remember our Lord’s willingness to die for our sins, his willing acceptance of responsibility for our faults, our trespasses.

When you and I confess our sins, we acknowledge our part in this Good Friday trial.

Were you there…?  Yes, you were there, I was there, my sins and your sins were part of the indictment, also nailed to the cross. Our sins were put to death also. In this sense, the verdict is favorable to us… you and I did not have to stand in this particular trial as defendants.

[__04__]   And, while we were there at his trial… we believe that the Lord is also present and understands something of our trials, our difficulties due to sin and sinfulness – due to our own faults or those of others.

We were there. And, he is here.

[__05__]   From the Gospel, we can draw out some of the difficulties of the Lord’s trial, difficulties that we also experience in our own times of being indicted …  and accused.

[__05.01__]    One aspect of the trial is that … the judge and jury are biased.

Pilate asks a basic – and intelligent – question to the accusers, “What charge do you bring against this man [Jesus]?” (John 18:29)

The response is biased, and includes no “charge” only a prejudiced condemnation, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” (John 18:30)

Do we not encounter individuals with biased and prejudiced views against us?

We may offer them the truth, the truth of our Catholic faith, worship, morals, but we encounter people for whom the truth is meaningless.

Pilate says, “What is truth?”(John 18:38)  The crowd says, “We have no king but Caesar.”  (John 19:15_)

The Good Friday trial reminds us to persevere, to search our consciences even if we experience such bias from the so-called judges and juries.

Guilt can be a victory.

[__05.02__]    Another aspect of this trial is the unreliability of the witnesses.

Jesus himself is a witness, a witness in his own defense, saying, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the Temple area … Ask them. They know what I said.”  (John 18:20-21)

But this evidence did not satisfy the judge or jury And, the testimony was was not made by any one but Jesus. Meanwhile, the star student – Peter – was trying to cut a deal or go into the witness protection program.

In our struggle, we may also feel alone or isolated without sufficient evidence or witnesses on our side.

At such times, we put ourselves before the Cross, to embrace, to touch, to kiss his struggle for our sin.

Our Lord’s acceptance of guilt for our sins becomes our forgiveness, our release from punishment.

His guilt is good news. His guilt is our victory.

[__fin__]