June 30, 2012 Mock Worship

Mock Worship Mark 15:15-20 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. THOSE horrible soldiers weren’t just content to crucify him, they had to mock him first. The thorny crown, the purple robe symbolized the evil and hatred in their hearts. Their hatred for Jesus was the kind of hatred God’s people had shown against God’s Law for centuries as they hatefully killed his prophets. Evil was running amok in Israel, Judah and the non-Jewish soldiers. The godly Jews, who desired God’s presence and who saw Jesus as their Messiah were shut down. Their voices were weak and silent. Evil seems to be the champion of the day. Yes, that’s the way it seems, doesn’t it? We hear many types of Jesus-mocking speech in our culture. Evil rules tongues and minds. God-honoring speech is covered over. Sometimes the mocking is our being quiet when we should speak. Is there any hope to rid the world of this mocking, hateful, God-killing speech? The Hope is on his way to the cross. Pause and consider, are you in any way mocking God?