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可 15：16–20.
16 兵丁把耶稣带进衙门院里，叫齐了全营的兵。17 他们给他穿上紫袍，又用荆棘编做冠冕给他戴上，18 就庆贺他说：「恭喜，犹太人的王啊！」19 又拿一根苇子打他的头，吐唾沫在他脸上，屈膝拜他。20 戏弄完了，就给他脱了紫袍，仍穿上他自己的衣服，带他出去，要钉十字架。
我从未见过一幅描绘耶稣被钉在十字架上的画作，能够公正地反映出士兵们对他造成的伤害。当你阅读耶稣受难的故事时，其中反复提到士兵们用棍棒击打他的脸部和头部。有一次，我在医院里看到一位妇女在车祸后的第二天。 她的脸紧贴着方向盘。她看起来几乎不像人。这是我见过的最怪异的事情。在回家的路上，我在想，耶稣被挂在十字架上时不就是这个样子吗？
他们把他打扮得像个国王，嘲笑他，向他吐口水。谁会这么做？也许是操场上的小男孩吧。我不敢说我见过一个成年人向别人吐口水，除非是在电影里。由于双手被绑，耶稣可能连擦掉脸上口水的自由都没有。你能想象比这更羞辱的事吗？罗马士兵对待狗都比对待耶稣要好。耶稣在为我们上十字架时，没有受到任何程度的羞辱。
比士兵的残忍更让我们惊讶的是耶稣的反应。他什么也没说。他什么也没做。他可以派一群天使去报复他们，因为他们这样对待上帝的儿子。如果让我大胆猜测一下耶稣当时的想法，我猜他会同情那些对他毫无怜悯之心的人。后来，他为他们祈祷 “父啊，赦免他们，因为他们不知道自己在做什么”, 这就是耶稣, 这就是上帝之子 他怜悯那些根本不值得怜悯的人
这就是为什么他对我仁慈。他为我的冷漠而死。他为我对他人的残忍而死。他为我犯下的所有罪孽而死。耶稣也清楚地知道我的罪，并为我的每一个罪而死。 祈祷吧 主耶稣，请怜悯我这个罪人！原谅我每一个给他人带来痛苦的残忍言行。我以你的名义请求。 阿门。
Mark 15:15-20: He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. (NIV)
I have never seen a painting of Jesus on the cross that did justice to the damage that must have been inflicted on him by the soldiers. As you read the Passion story, over and over again it speaks of the soldiers striking him in the face and head with their sticks and clubs. I saw a woman in the hospital once the day after a car accident. Her face connected with the steering wheel. She almost didn’t look human. It was the most grotesque thing I ever saw. On the way home, I wondered if that wasn’t what Jesus looked like while he was hanging on the cross.
They dressed him like a king, mocked him, and spit on him. Who does that? Little boys on the playground, maybe. I can’t say that I have ever seen an adult spit on another person, except maybe in a movie. With his hands tied, Jesus probably didn’t even have the freedom to wipe it off his face. Can you imagine anything more humiliating than this? Dogs are treated better than Jesus was treated by the Roman soldiers. Jesus was spared no degree of humiliation as he went to the cross for us.
What surprises us more than the cruelty of the soldiers is the response that Jesus gave. He said nothing. He did nothing. It was in his hands to send a swarm of angels on them to pay them back for treating the Son of God this way. If I would venture a guess of what was in Jesus’ mind, I would guess that he pitied those who had no pity for him. Later, he would pray for them. “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” This is who Jesus is. This is who the Son of God is. He is one who shows mercy for those who absolutely don’t deserve it at all.
Which is why he has shown mercy to me. He died for my indifference. He died for my cruelty to others. He died for all the sins I have committed. In perfect clarity of mind, Jesus knew my sins, too, and died for every single one of them.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner! Forgive me for every cruel word or action with which I have inflicted pain on others. I ask this in your name. Amen.