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Explanation for:
Matthew
27
:
29
And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews.
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"It seemed as though the adversary was celebrating alongside them all. Although it is indeed true that the Jews were cursing Christ, filled with envy and animosity, one must ask how and why the soldiers participated in this behavior. Was it not apparent that the devil was reveling in their actions? So consumed by cruelty and obstinacy, they derived enjoyment from the insults hurled at Christ. They ought to have shown sorrow, following the example of the onlookers; instead, they mocked Him, assaulting Him brazenly—perhaps in an attempt to curry favor with the Jews or simply out of their own wickedness. The insults were numerous and varied. This divine head suffered the torment of being choked, bludgeoned by a crown of thorns, and beaten with a stick by vile and impure men. How do we respond to this, we who become outraged over the slightest offense toward ourselves, while Christ endured such profound sufferings? The abuse He suffered was the height of degradation. Not just a single part but His entire body was afflicted: the head from the crown, the stick, and the blows; the face from the spitting; the palms from the lashes; the body as a whole from the scourging, the tattered cloak, and the feigned worship; the hand from the stick He was given to hold instead of a scepter; the mouth from the offering of vinegar. What could be more burdensome than this? What could be more offensive? Indeed, the events that transpired exceed all description. Fearful of omitting any act of insolence, those who took the prophets’ lives used the judge to bring about Christ's death. They enacted everything: killing with their own hands, judging and condemning Him both in their court and before Pilate, declaring, “His blood be upon us and upon our children;” they attacked with zeal, mocked, bound Him, stripped Him, and made themselves complicit in the soldiers' insults. They nailed Him to the cross, reviling Him, spitting upon Him, and mocking Him. Pilate did not add anything to their culpability; they alone were the accusers, the judges, the executioners, and everything else. This has been relayed to us in the congregation. To counter the claim of the Gentiles—that we only highlight the glorious signs and wonders while concealing the humiliating events—the grace of the Holy Spirit has orchestrated that this account be proclaimed during a national celebration, particularly on the solemn evening of the Passover when multitudes gather. It is then communicated loudly, and despite this universal proclamation, we affirm that Christ is God; among other reasons, we worship Him for choosing to humble Himself for us, to bear such suffering, and to impart every virtue. Yet, it remains vital that we continually engage with this narrative, for it yields immense benefit and profit. Indeed, when one witnesses how they deride Him verbally and physically, how they bow before Him in mockery, how brutally they strike Him and force Him to endure such extreme pain—even if one were as unyielding as stone, one would soften to the core, melting as wax, and expelling all arrogance from the heart. \\n\\nIn the contest for the soul, He triumphantly dons a crown of thorns upon His sacred head, having lifted the original curse from the earth and restored it through His divine presence, cleansing creation from the thorns brought forth by sin."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The soldiers, acknowledging Him as the King of the Jews and influenced by the scribes and priests who condemned Him, acted in derision: they removed His garments and dressed Him in a lengthy crimson robe, replacing the royal attire of past kings, and instead of a regal crown, they placed a crown of thorns upon His head. Instead of a king’s scepter, He was given a staff in His right hand, while they feigned worship as if He were a king. This event holds a profound meaning for us. In fact, as Caiaphas remarked, \\"It is better for us that one man should die for men\\" (John 11:50), though he did not fully grasp the implications of his words. Thus, despite their intentions, the actions of these individuals convey deeper truths to us believers. In His scarlet robe, He distances Himself from the atrocities committed by the Gentiles; with the crown of thorns, He addresses the age-old curse; and with the staff, He strikes at the venomous creatures, or similarly, He holds the staff to document the transgressions of the Jews."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"With the \\"crown of thorns\\" placed upon Him in derision, the outcome was contrary to their intentions, as their disbelief was ultimately transformed into a greater good. Through this crown, the adversary was vanquished, for by His royal diadem, the Lord nullified the curses incurred by the first Adam: \\"thorns and thistles shall He bring forth for thee\\" (cf. Gen. 3:18). \\"They offered Him a staff,\\" for the Lord was the support that sustained creation, which had grown weary and sought refuge in Him. Just as a staff symbolizes the decrees of judges and renders them irrevocable, likewise the Lord inscribed His decree with this staff and expelled them from His dwelling."},{"author-name":"Hilarius of Poitiers","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88cb92f12b3278598f946_Hilarius%20of%20Poitiers.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"After the scourging, they adorned the Lord with a purple robe and placed a crown of thorns upon His head, giving Him a staff in His right hand. They knelt before Him in mockery. He bears the entirety of our flesh's infirmities and is drenched in the crimson blood of all the martyrs destined to reign alongside Him. He is adorned in the purple symbolic of the profound honors bestowed upon prophets and patriarchs. The crown of thorns signifies the former transgressions of repentant Gentiles, illustrating how glory arises from what is harmful and insignificant, transformed through His divine touch. The thorns embody the prick of sins from which Christ's crown of triumph is fashioned. The staff represents the futility and fragility of the Gentiles, who find strength through His touch. He is also struck on the head. It seems that the strikes of the staff inflicted minimal harm upon Him; this is typically interpreted as a reminder that the physical frailty of the Gentiles, once held by Christ, is now consoled by God the Father, who is the head (See 1 Cor. 11:3). Amid all this derision, while Christ is mocked, He is also revered."},{"author-name":"Apollinarius of Laodicea","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"It was not through their own might, but by God's will that this unfolded for humanity's redemption. The Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8) bore disgrace on our behalf due to the disgrace that we deserved, and He honors the day of the righteous, which is eternally subject to the scorn of the unwise. As the purple robe was stained with blood, those longing for His demise dressed Him in this garment, unaware of the significance of their actions and particularly oblivious to the fact that the purple robe symbolized the scarlet thread (See Hab. 2:18) from the Book of Joshua and the swaddled hand of one of Tamar's children by Judah (See Gen. 38:28-30). The Saviour, in order to redeem all, assumed the burden of the world's sins and its inhabitants. Those burdened by anxieties, wealth, and worldly delights (Lk. 8:14), upon receiving the word of God, fail to produce fruit and, by weaving thorns, crown and dishonor Jesus thereby. Yet He who bore our thorns annihilates them with His own brow. They also placed a staff in His right hand for those who perceived His reign to be illusory."},{"author-name":"Chromatius of Aquileia","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a3df6d7a747a33b4f4a_Chromatius%20of%20Aquileia.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"This is the scorn that both Jews and Gentiles directed at Him. Yet, we now discern that within this mockery lies a profound divine mystery. He is adorned with the victor's crown, as crowns are bestowed upon those who triumph. With all knees bent before Him, He is revered as deity. Thus, He is adorned in royal purple as a king, in scarlet as a martyr, crowned as a conqueror, exalted as Lord, and venerated as God. The crown of thorns that the Lord bore reflected our journey from idolatry to faith. Once we were like thorns, that is, sinners; however, upon believing in Christ, we have been transformed into a crown of righteousness, no longer causing wounds to the Savior but instead adorning His head with the confession of faith, acknowledging the Father through the Son, for the head of Christ is God, as the apostle states (1 Cor. 11:3). This crown is what David foreshadowed in the Psalms when he declared, \\"I have laid upon His head a crown of pure gold\\" (Ps. 20:4). We were once thorns, but as we were deemed Christ's crown, we became precious stones. For He who can raise children of Abraham from stones (Matt. 3:9) also transforms thorns into jewels. Moreover, our reading indicates that a staff was placed in the Lord’s right hand. Listen to David's insight concerning Christ: \\"My tongue,\\" he says, \\"is the cane of a shorthand writer\\" (Ps. 44:2). By embracing suffering, He took a staff in His right hand, which serves either to grant heavenly pardon for our transgressions or to inscribe His law upon our hearts, as He promised through the prophet: \\"I will put My law in their inward parts, and on their hearts I will write it\\" (Jeremiah 31:33). Additionally, this staff can be interpreted in various ways, for its spiritual significance is rich. The staff, hollow and without substance, represents the Gentile nation, which once lacked the essence of divine law, being devoid of faith and grace. This nation, symbolized by the staff, was placed in the right hand of the Lord, while the Jewish nation, who persecuted Him, stood on the left. Isaiah similarly indicates that the term \\"staff\\" refers to the Gentiles when he proclaims about the Lord, \\"He will not break the broken cane\\" (Isaiah 42:3), implying that the Gentile nations, once oppressed by the devil, were not abandoned by Christ but rather empowered. The bowing of the knees from those who worshipped signifies the faith and salvation of believing nations, who daily worship the eternal King, Christ, on bended knees."},{"author-name":"Joseph the Hymnographer","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":9,"exegesis-text":"By thorns, O Lord, purify my soul, overrun and entangled with thorns, filled with various desires, for your abundant mercy. \\n\\n*****\\n\\nO my gracious God, shield me from the fierce beasts that threaten my spirit, O Savior, who endured scorn and humiliation, struck with a rod, O Christ, to bring honor despite all past dishonors."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"In this moment, the words of David were realized: ‘He gave Me to be reviled by the foolish’ (Psalm 38:9). The soldiers acted in accordance with their folly, dressing Him in a robe rather than a royal garment, as though He were a sovereign; they adorned His head with a mock crown instead of a true diadem. In their ridicule, they offered Him a semblance of honor, for kneeling often denotes reverence. Observe how they trivialized every form of disgrace: they dishonored Him by spitting on His face, the crown on His head, the rod in His hand, the robe around His body, and they assaulted His ears with blasphemies. Despite their actions being a direct affront to Christ, it is essential to grasp that these occurrences were also accomplished by Jesus in a deeper, more profound way. The scarlet robe represented our human nature, which He took upon Himself, stained with blood and susceptible to violence, and He sanctified it by donning it. The crown of thorns signified the transgressions arising from worldly anxieties, sins that Christ, through His divine nature, obliterates, as the Godhead is symbolized by the head. The cane represents our fragile and corporeal flesh, which the Lord embraced, as David proclaimed: ‘the right hand of the Lord hath lifted me up’ (Ps. 117:16). By enduring the blasphemies hurled at Him, the Lord freed us from the serpent’s deceit that first entered through the ears of Eve."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"This scarlet chlamydia that Mark (Mark 15:17) referred to as a preprada (πορφυραν) is described by John (John 19:2) as a purple robe (ιματιον πορφυρουν). It was indeed a garment of purple hue. Matthew, without contradiction, identified this color as scarlet (κοκκκινος) or crimson, as it resembled purple but lacked its true essence. Since Jesus Christ was proclaimed the King of the Jews, they adorned Him with a purple robe in mockery of His royal status, replacing the regal diadem with a crown of thorns upon His head, and substituting the sceptre with a cane in His hand, thus inadvertently revealing the truth. They knelt before Him, tauntingly exclaiming, “Rejoice, O King of the Jews.” After spitting on Him, they took the cane and struck Him on the head, demonstrating unparalleled patience and an indescribable wrath. (John 19:3) notes that He also endured blows to His hands. The wicked unleashed a torrent of abuse upon Him to placate the Jews who despised God. John alone (John 19:4-16) details the subsequent events that others neglected, stating, “Pilate went out again and said to them, ‘Behold, I will take Him away from you,’” until it reached the point where it is written, “Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified.” It is clear that Pilate first delivered Jesus Christ to crucifixion twice; initially - feigning concern for the aforementioned reasons, and after exhausting all efforts, he realized they were utterly resolute. In the end, they warned him: “If you let Him go, you are not Caesar’s friend; anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar” (John 19:12), prompting him to genuinely hand Jesus over to them for crucifixion. Thus, he delivered Him up on two occasions. Pilate made numerous attempts to absolve Jesus of all wrongdoing, striving in every possible way to prevent His execution, but he was constrained by a judicial decree, needing to resist the unjust, unwilling to betray the innocent, who, in his own words, bore no guilt deserving of death (John 12:6). It is evident from his own declarations that Pilate could not betray Jesus Christ: “Do you not realize that I have the authority to crucify You, and I have the authority to release You” (John 19:10)? Hence, Jesus did not acquit him from blame, stating: “He who delivered Me to you bears a greater sin” (John 19:11), implying a greater sin than that of Pilate himself. Pilate was not justified in accusing Jesus Christ of claiming royal authority. Upon hearing such claims, he should have summoned the accusers, demanded evidence, and searched for proof of any intention by Jesus to seize power, such as assembling armies, gathering wealth, or preparing weapons. Yet he succumbed to cowardice upon hearing these accusations and, without further investigation, accepted and was bewildered by them. The more brazen and ruthless the Jews were, the more timid and cowardly he became, resulting in his capriciousness and compliance. The previous account, as mentioned in John, is also relevant to the matters at hand, as it provides valuable context for this narrative."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"A \\"crown of thorns\\" refers to the spiky, flexible plants that cause significant anguish when fashioned into a headpiece, as the thorns pierce into the flesh and draw blood. In ancient times, rulers wielded a scepter as a sign of their authority, typically adorned and lavish. However, in a cruel mockery of His kingship, the Lord was given only a simple rod, while the royal crown was replaced by this painful crown of thorns. To \\"kneel on their knees\\" signifies the way monarchs were reverently acknowledged in the East. They proclaimed \\"Hail,\\" or a greeting, to the \\"King of the Jews.\\""},{"author-name":"Philaret (Gumilevski)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c896f4b6fd32caa244b5d7_Philaret%20(Gumilevski).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"They ridiculed the King whom they deemed insincere and crafted a crown from a thorny plant to place upon His head. The Fathers of the Church, starting with Clement, refer to this thorny plant (ἀκάνθα) as the proper thorn. Undoubtedly, the excessive cruelty of the soldiers sought not only to provide a biting insult but to select the most irritating plant for the head of the King of the Jews. One emblem of sovereignty, the scepter, was conspicuously absent; instead, they placed in His right hand a staff made from Palestinian reed (καλάμος), which resembles our reed but is stouter and sturdier. Following this bitter mockery of attire, the derision from the vulgar crowd commenced. They shouted in triumph, \\"Long live the Emperor,\\" directed toward the Roman ruler, and turned to Jesus with the chant, \\"Long live the King of the Jews.\\" According to St. Matthew's Gospel, the soldiers continued to kneel before Jesus, hurling their jests with expressions of anger."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"They also discovered a crown intended for the King of the Jews, fashioning a crown from thorns and placing it upon His head. They located a sceptre as well: they handed Him a staff for His right hand, which resembled a sort of reed, but was sturdier and thicker. This so-called royal attire was a cruel jest in itself, and they began to hurl the harshest curses at Him. In the Eastern tradition, it was customary for kings to receive honor through kneeling; thus, the soldiers began to do just that. Kneeling before Him, they mocked and ridiculed Him. Just as they would shout praises to the Roman emperor during grand events, they now jeered at our Lord with contempt, exclaiming, \\"Hail, King of the Jews!\\""}]}
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