The Soldiers And The Centurion
The Games People Play
Luke 22:63 Mark 15:19 Ps 22:16-18
During this three hour service we’re going to look at those who gathered at the foot of the cross. The motley crew who, for one reason or another found themselves out at Calvary on that first Good Friday.
To begin with we’re going to consider those who had to be there because they were on duty – the soldiers and the centurion – those for whom the day began as just another part of their routine. For two of their number at least, no other day was ever going to be the same again.
There are two sorts of games children play. Simple innocent games of fancy which are just fun and creative, or games that act out a truth far deeper than they knew at the time.
When I was a little boy, I used to play churches in the garden shed – me as the Vicar and my long suffering friends as the congregation. Years later, Megan was always playing schools with me in various guises as all the children in her class. Unknowingly we were acting out our futures.
The soldiers who witnessed the crucifixion were playing a game with Jesus at which they got nearer to the truth than they realised. It is a common theme in the Gospels that the villains are the ones who come blurting out with a truth that had appeared hidden.
The soldiers play make believe with Jesus as if he were a prophet.
“They mocked him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and asked him “Prophesy, who is it that struck you?”
The soldiers play make believe with Jesus as if he were a king.
“And they clothed Him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him and began to salute him – “Hail king of the Jews”
Jesus had acted towards people as if he were some sort of Priest.
The soldiers play act those scenes and offer him vinegar mixed with gall as if to throw back in his face the blessings he had given others.
In their games of mockery, they could not have realised how near the truth they were – parodying Jesus as prophet priest and king.
Jesus, my shepherd, brother, friend,
My prophet, priest and king.
My Lord, my life, my way my end
Accept the praise I bring.
There is the feeling that the crucifixion of Jesus was a straggly little scene, small scale and distinctly hushed up and yet when those on duty get control of him, the first thing they do is summon the whole battalion to join in the game. This is six hundred men against one.
What was it do you think that stirred up such hatred and such passion,
At a time when crowd control would have been necessary for those gathering for the Passover – six hundred could be spared to play games with this prisoner.
Yea, dogs are round about me,
A company of evildoers encircle me
They have pierced my hands and my feet
I can count all my bones – they stare and gloat over me
They divide my garments among them and for my raiment they cast lots.
All through his ministry an abundance of generosity – more bread, more wine, more fish than you could ever need with which to bestow blessing and now, here, an abundance of cruelty, more muscle, more fist, more sword and more heavy boot than you could ever need to bestow a curse.
They were not living in the real world, these soldiers.
They were caught up in a place and a time where everything and everyone is for their own entertainment.
The soldiers are in contrast to the Centurion who stays anchored in reality.
Did he too enter into the games of the others but gradually find himself touched by something about Jesus or did he stand haplessly by – a poor leader of men who let the bullying continue unchecked.
He was touched by the power unleashed at Jesus dying moment and a monumental dying moment it was!
“And behold the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom, the earth shook and the rocks were split, the tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and they went into the holy city and appeared to many, and the centurion when he saw all this….
A gut wrenching last cry, the raising up of bodies long since buried, and the rending of tombs from the violent earthquake – things you surely could not miss – he is the only one to gather them in to the truth about Jesus.
“Truly this man was the son of God” – he cried – and it’s left at that –we know not what happened to that man – except at the key moment – he was there to proclaim the truth about a situation.
You and I are called to be centurion-like sometimes – to see the truth and comment on it even when others see things entirely differently. This is especially so in times of danger time of crisis, danger or perplexity – for us to cry out with the truth of where God is .
right there of all places – in the dying of a suffering man – a veil is indeed torn open – a veil that reveals the truth of one who loved us so much.
There is one other witness to call from the massed ranks of the military – and he has a story to tell like no other.
John’s Gospel tells of a group of soldiers instructed to bring things to a speedy conclusion by breaking the legs of those who hung crucified. It was the day of preparation and would not have been seemly to have had these bodies remaining on their crosses into the Sabbath. One soldier comes to Jesus only to discover that he is already dead and he pierces his side with a spear:
“and at once there came out blood and water” – and mysteriously John writes “he who saw it has borne witness, his testimony is true and he knows that he tells the truth that you might believe” (John 19:35). I am told that it is possible at the point of death blood and a watery substance can emerge – but the witness runs deeper than this.
The piercing of Jesus side allows for two things.
It provides then opening for Thomas to accept the resurrection. For it is into this very pierced place that the disciple will be invited to place his hand in order to see and believe and exclaim “My Lord and My God”
See this as a strange possibility for the way your Christian witness might work without you truly knowing. Something you do scarcely knowing why and with a mixture of motives – literally provides the opening somewhere down the line in salvation history for someone to exclaim “My Lord and My God”
Inadvertently at the point of death, a soldier is opening wide the possibility for the acceptance of life.
Secondly we face the possibility that the church was born out of the side of Jesus.
John’s first Epistle makes clear that Jesus “comes by water and blood” (1John 5:6)and tradition has seen this stands for his baptism and his death – the blood being connected to the Eucharist and the water to baptism - - so here at the cross – this casual witness accidently unleashes the power of the church on the world at the precise moment of greatest hopelessness.
The body of Christ which we say we are gains its character not with some airy fairy identification with Jesus Christ – good works, good teaching, good stories – but right from the heart of his redemptive suffering.
We should not be surprised to find ourselves as a bruised and battered sort of body - not because we have allowed ourselves to be defiled by overwhelming sin – but because we have allowed ourselves to be touched with Christ’s deep love and are determined – from our own woundedness – to pour forth blood and water, baptism and Eucharist into the world as blessing.
RH Good Friday 2009