The Eleventh Station Reflection: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

 

ISAIAH : He was spurned and avoided by men,

a man of suffering, knowing pain,

Like one from whom you turn your face,

spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our pain that he bore,

our sufferings he endured.

We thought of him as stricken,

struck down by God and afflicted,

But he was pierced for our sins,

crushed for our iniquity.

He bore the punishment that makes us whole,

by his wounds we were healed.

 

 

MARK: Mockery by the Soldiers.

The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort.

They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him.

They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage.

And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.

 

 

LUKE; A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.^*

Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.^p Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,

she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.”

Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages^* and the other owed fifty.

Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?”

Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.

You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment.

So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.^* But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

 LUKE; 

The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.

So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.

(The Way of the Cross)As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.

A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him.

 

 

Mark 01: The Cleansing of a Leper.

A leper^* came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”^p

The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.^q

 

Matthew: The Crucifixion.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull),

they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.^* But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.

 After they had crucified him, they divided his garments^* by casting lots;

then they sat down and kept watch over him there.

And they placed over his head the written charge^* against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

 

John

When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.”  And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows^* that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to] believe.

For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled:

“Not a bone of it will be broken.”

And again another passage says: “They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”