63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.
Section Overview
The temple guards in charge of Jesus deride him, beat him, blindfold him, and challenge him. They show from their behavior that they are part of the hour of darkness, that the light of truth has not penetrated their thinking or their hearts.
Section Outline
V. Death and Resurrection in Jerusalem (19:28–24:53) . . .
E. Arrest and Trial (22:39–23:25)
1. The Arrest (22:39–65) . . .
d. Mocking by Soldiers (22:63–65)
Response
Hannah Arendt, who is famous for her writings about the evils of Nazism, coined the phrase “the banality of evil.” For the temple guards, it is probably just another day on the job, and they enjoy mocking, ridiculing, and beating Jesus. They do not realize that in this instance they are mistreating the Messiah, the Son of Man, and the Son of God. The problem with evil, however, is that it cannot be kept under control. Once we agree to inflict evil on anyone, we open ourselves to mistreating everyone. There is no magic line between “little people” and “important people,” since all people without exception are significant in God’s sight. We are reminded of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s words in The Gulag Archipelago: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart—and through all human hearts.”278 Apart from grace, we would all do what the guards do. We have all participated in mocking other human beings, which is why we too need the same forgiveness the Jewish guards need.