A5- PART T

PART T: Trial
‘My royal throne is of another world.
My soldiers would be fighting for me now
to save me from the clutches of the men
outside if I were claiming to be king
of territory of the kind Rome rules.
The kingdom that I claim is not that kind.’
‘Right, then’, said Pilate, ‘so you are a king.’
‘I am indeed, and that is why I’m here.
The reason I was born was to proclaim
the truth, and everyone who seeks the truth
will listen to my words and follow me.’
‘Ah, yes, but what is “truth,”? ‘ said Pilate.
He’d heard enough and went out to the crowd.
‘I find no fault in this man,’ he announced.
‘He should be tried and sentenced by your Law.’
The furious explosions of offence
that greeted this announcement and the spleen
and anger it engendered were all plain.
Among the voices raised were those who said
that Jesus represented wider threats
to Rome than any local lawbreaker.
He was a Galilean who had spread
his own rebellious message far and wide.
Here Pilate saw his chance, ’Well if he comes
from Galilee then I shall seek the view
of Herod. That will be appropriate
for now.’
So, as was half the world beside, Herod
himself was also in Jerusalem
and when he heard the Governor had sent
this Galilean sorcerer he’d heard
so much about for him to interview
he was delighted. He should do some tricks
for him. He settled down to entertain
himself. The prisoner refused to say
a word. Whatever questions he was asked:
however loudly priests and scribes accused:
the prisoner made no response at all.
Thus, interest soon changed to ridicule.
‘Was it a king he claimed to be? they asked.
Then they would dress him up appropriately
Something bizarre, something to make them laugh
t