“And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: ‘Art thou the king of the Jews?’ Jesus saith to him: ‘Thou sayest it.’ And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him: ‘Doest not thou hear how great testimonies they allege against thee?’ And he answered him to never a word; so that the governor wondered exceedingly.”
Jesus, who in His divinity is so vast, so glorious, that all things created seem to be as if they were not in comparison to His glory, as the stars are not seen when the sun shines: “Thou shalt no more have the sun for thy light by day, neither shall the brightness of the moon enlighten thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee for an everlasting light, and thy God for thy glory” (Isaias 60:19), is given the title of the Judge of all: “For neither doth the Father judge any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22), then lowers Himself to a mocking, Roman judge, who is unimpressed with this King of the Jews before him. You have been given an extraordinary dignity, Theophila, in being not just a Christian, but becoming Christ by your participation in the divine nature through the sacraments: “That by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4); “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God” (1 John 3:1), which then calls you to the lowest of places: “Go, sit down in the lowest place” (Luke 14:10), to reverence all before you as something precious, and to serve them that they may reach their fullest life, which is the life most closely connected to that of Christ by sacrament and imitation: “He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). The title “King of the Jews” was a title that the religious leaders placed, for, with Pilate’s lack of care for matters of the Law: “Am I a Jew?” (John 18:35), a title that would seemingly set Jesus against Rome was a crafty manner of trying to have Him executed for sedition. Jesus affirms His kingship before Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), weaving His way through this snare, saying that He would not rise against Rome, while still acknowledging the truth of His place as the Almighty King: “But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his commandment” (Psalm 2:6). Now, Pilate had an inclination of curiosity regarding Jesus: “Pilate wondered” (Mark 15:5), and for this, Jesus is willing to give Him crumbs of truth, that he may be drawn into the mystery of God: “For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice” (John 18:37), but before the chief priests, He says nothing, knowing that their hearts were too hardened against Him to receive any of His words: “He that teacheth a scorner, doth an injury to himself” (Proverbs 9:7). Thus, Theophila, to open your heart to His love and His truth is something He will not spurn: “Knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7), for just as light enters through a door when it is opened to illuminate a dark room, so too do your mind and heart become filled with Him when you allow Him to enter, for delightful is His presence, and He would share this delight with you until you are perpetually rejoicing: “A cheerful and good heart is always feasting” (Ecclesiasticus 31:27). Being lambasted by those that had seen His many acts of love, Jesus answers nothing, for He knows what He is, and so too, Theophila, when you know how loved you are by God, do insults and mockery mean nothing and do not wound the spirit, for they do not detract from what your heavenly Father thinks of you: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), which is what truly matters: “He that feareth man, shall quickly fall: he that trusteth in the Lord, shall be set on high” (Proverbs 29:25). Jesus answered nothing, not lowering His dignity by begging to be let go or arguing against those that would not listen, but in tranquil acceptance embraces what is set before Him, that the plan of the Cross may find its fulfillment. Pilate wonders at Him, that before such assaults on His character, still His peace remains, that even death is not the least bit feared, for He knows the beauty that will come of it, and in this is a lesson, Theophila, that the gift of life should be perpetually enjoyed as the gift it is: “For thou lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made: for thou didst not appoint, or make any thing hating it… Thou sparest all: because they are thine, O Lord, who lovest souls” (Wisdom 11:25-27), yet still the deep lover of God sees death as a good as well, that there may be a full possession of Christ and a beholding of His majesty and beauty: “We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Thus, while many are terrified of death and run from it as a snuffing out of everything they are: “[He] might deliver them, who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to servitude” (Hebrews 2:15), to you it is given, as a Christian, to die of love and thereby run to enjoy your Beloved: “But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die… but they are in peace” (Wisdom 3:1-3).