Mark 15:39
Have
you ever been in the room with someone, and you just knew there was something
different about them, something extraordinary? The way they carried themselves,
their connection with people, their gentle manner seemed genuine, authentic.
They stood out from the rest. And maybe you couldn’t tell exactly what made
them seem different, but you sensed it.
Of
course maybe they were acting suspicious, untrustworthy. Maybe they were
muttering to themselves, and they didn’t have a Bluetooth earpiece! Maybe their
clothes didn’t seem to fit in with the crowd, or their hairstyle seemed out of
date. Perhaps it was the way their eyes seemed to dart about the room,
seemingly unable to stay focused on any one thing.
You
see, people can be different for lots of different reasons. And differences can
be viewed as good, bad, ugly, and a thousand other ways. Sometimes different is
just different.
But
I like the times when different has that rare quality, a quality that makes me feel
as though they are a cut above me, of better stuff, an inspiration. I want
someone to show me what that cut above looks like, without rubbing it in my
face. Because once they rub it in my face, they show themselves not to be a cut above. I want quiet confidence,
not loud arrogance.
The
commander, call a centurion, was there overseeing the activities of the day. He
was on crucifixion duty. I don’t know how this particular duty was viewed by
those soldiers. It probably was a duty that allowed them to get away from the
palace, which is usually a good thing. Most soldiers don’t like being too close
to the flagpole, as they say it today. Too many eyes, too many high ranking
people, too many bosses, too many nitpicky details. Most soldiers like a little
independence, a little flexibility in their jobs. They want to be able to let
loose and have a little fun with the task.
Crucifixion duty was really a PR job. It was a
public display of the power of Rome to deal with those it deemed threatening or
unwanted. Crucifixion stood as a powerful warning to anyone else who might be
thinking about rebelling against the authority. They would not have allowed
just anyone to be in charge. Like Arlington National Cemetery in Washington,
DC, only the sharpest are qualified to work there.
There
were many opportunities for Rome to look incompetent during the process of
crucifixion. And if they looked incompetent, they looked as though they lacked
power. If the prisoner has too much spunk left in him and he has the strength
to continue to incite rebellion, Rome has failed. If the spikes aren’t driven
in correctly and the victim rips free, failure. If they don’t survive long
enough to make the point about the pain of rebellion, or too long, eating up
soldier’s time, delaying the schedule, failure.
And
as this commander watches the way Jesus dies, something is different. He must
have seen others die, shouting and cursing. Many would have struggled to not be
placed on the cross. Some would have continued to struggle to get free, some
even after being hoisted. Anger and hatred were probably the normal reactions.
Cries of pain and rejection. Maybe a few cries for mom.
But
Jesus does none of these things. He is in pain, and when offered something to
make Him feel less pain, He rejects it. He rejects the wine mixture that would
have provided a little numbing. He rejects the wine vinegar that would have
helped His mouth feel a little less parched. He takes care of His mother’s
future needs. He offers forgiveness. He gives hope to a fellow condemned man,
offering forgiveness and heaven. He breathes His last breath in peace. He was
different.
And
the centurion knew it. Do you know it? Do you recognize it? Do you proclaim it?