Today’s Scripture Reading (November 7,
2015): Deuteronomy 21
Crucifixion
was not just a way of killing someone. Traditionally crucifixion combined a
form of execution, torture and humiliation all combined into one act. Those
crucified often took days to die, but even after they were dead, the executed
were left on their crosses for days while the birds and other animals fed on
the human carcasses. It wasn’t enough just to kill the criminal in the eyes of
the Roman Law, the criminal and their families needed to be humiliated as well.
In modern times, crucifixion often just carries that last element – it is meant
for humiliation. The prisoner often is executed first, and it is just the dead
body that is nailed or hung on the cross.
It is this facet
of Crucifixion, and really every other form of public execution, that this law specifically
speaks against. And this is really a characteristic of the bulk of the Mosaic Laws.
The Mosaic Law reflect the law codes that were employed by the nations around
Israel at the time, but often with a step in the direction of mercy. The Mosaic
Laws allow for Capital punishment as all of the other law codes did, if the
crime and the situation are right, but not humiliation (in fact, that might be
one of the several reasons for the strict biblical injunction against
homosexuality – homosexual acts in antiquity were often used by a conquering
army to humiliate the conquered. Humiliation, in every situation, was simply off
the table.) Humiliating any part of God’s creation, in the sight of God, was an
act of desecration, not of the person, but of the land and the rest of
creation.
Of course, as
Christians this law has a secondary focus. First, this is one of the reasons
why the Jews do not believe that it is possible for Jesus to be the Messiah.
This law clearly states that cursed is anyone who is hung on a pole
(traditionally, a tree). Jesus’ crucifixion would seem to be a perfect fit for
this portion of the law. The Messiah could not be “under God’s curse.” But it
is also the reason why the bodies of Jesus and the two thieves could not be
left on the cross over the Passover. A violation of the Law would be hard at
any time, but definitely something that the Jews did not want to happen on what
was one of the most important days of the year. And so the deaths of the thieves
were hurried, and Jesus was found to be already dead. And before the sun set on
that Good Friday, the bodies were removed and taken away. Because execution may
be necessary, but humiliation is never appropriate.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy
22
No comments:
Post a Comment