The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. - documenta ...

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerich173The Jewish Priests murmured among themselves at being obliged to apply to the Roman governorfor the confirmation of their sentence, but it was necessary, as they had not the right of condemningcriminals excepting for things which concerned religion and the Temple alone, and they could notpass a sentence of death. They wished to prove that Jesus was an enemy to the emperor, and thisaccusation concerned those departments which were under Pilate’s jurisdiction. The soldiers wereall standing in front of the house, surrounded by a large body of the enemies of Jesus, and of commonpersons attracted by curiosity. The High Priests and a part of the Council walked at the head of theprocession, and Jesus, led by archers, and guarded by soldiers, followed, while the mob broughtup the rear. They were obliged to descend Mount Sion, and cross a part of the lower town to reachPilate’s palace, and many priests who had attended the Council went to the Temple directlyafterwards, as it was necessary to prepare for the festival.CHAPTER XIV.The Despair of Judas.174WHILST the Jews were conducting Jesus to Pilate, the traitor Judas walked about listening to theconversation of the crowd who followed, and his ears were struck by words such as these: ‘Theyare taking him before Pilate; the High Priests have condemned the Galilæan to death; he will becrucified; they will accomplish his death; he has been already dreadfully ill-treated; his patience iswonderful; he answers not; his only words are that he is the Messiah, and that he will be seated atthe right hand of God; they will crucify him on account of those words; had he not said them theycould not have condemned him to death. The miscreant who sold him was one of his disciples, andhad a short time before eaten the Paschal lamb with him; not for worlds would I have had to dowith such an act; however guilty the Galilæan may be, he has not at all events sold his friend formoney; such an infamous character as this disciple is infinitely more deserving of death.’ Then,but too late, anguish, despair, and remorse took possession of the mind of Judas. Satan instantlyprompted him to fly. He fled as if a thousand furies were at his heel, and the bag which was hangingat his side struck him as he ran, and propelled him as a spur from hell; but he took it into his handto prevent its blows. He fled as fast as possible, but where did he fly? Not towards the crowd, thathe might cast himself at the feet of Jesus, his merciful Saviour, implore his pardon, and ‘beg to diewith him,—not to confess his fault with true repentance before God, but to endeavour to unburdenhimself before the world of his crime, and of the price of his treachery. He ran like one besidehimself into the Temple, where several members of the Council had gathered together after thejudgment of Jesus. They looked at one another with astonishment; and then turned their haughtycountenances, on which a smile of irony was visible, upon Judas. He with a frantic gesture tore thethirty pieces of silver from his side, and holding them forth with his right hand, exclaimed in accentsof the most deep despair, ‘Take back your silver—that silver with which you bribed me to betraythis just man; take back your silver; release Jesus; our compact is at an end; I have sinned grievously,99