12. Jesus is Beaten (from The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision) by Douglas Blanchard
“Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.” -- John 19:1 (RSV)
Pilate, the magistrate, ordered that Jesus be scourged -- a severe whipping before execution. This cruel punishment was state-sponsored terrorism against a man who defied the established order and hierarchy by teaching love for all. When they hit him, they did violence to everyone who has ever dared to be different. The charge against Jesus was treason, but his “crime” might have gone by a different name in another time and place. Governments have imposed similar tortures on people who threaten the social order in various ways, including homosexuality. The painful scourging left Jesus bleeding and in shock.
Jesus, you are no distant, untouchable God. You experienced human suffering firsthand. Be with all who suffer… and with all who cause suffering.
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More Resources
Five Faces of Oppression from Justice and the Politics of Difference
by Iris Marion Young, political science professor
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Next: 13. Jesus Goes to His Execution
This is part of a series based on “The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision,” a set of 24 paintings by Douglas Blanchard, with text by Kittredge Cherry.
Click to go to the beginning
or view the whole series.
Scripture quotation is from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
4 comments:
There is no stronger commentary I can make on this post than to admit it made me weep. Some people might reject the "nudity" depicted. I will honestly say that I have always considered violence the ultimate obscenity, and hope that someday we will acknowledge this as a culture!
The picture of Jesus being beaten is even harder to see because I’ve grown more attached to this particular vision of an accessible, contemporary Jesus. Thank you for your tears, Trudie.
At least as Christians, we can rely on our faith that the resurrection lies ahead, and the cruel men who do the beatings do not get the last word.
I have never seen a depiction of Jesus that I can relate to so powerfully as I have seen so far in this series. At points I almost cried because of how relevant the Passion becomes to the LGBT life-experience in this series.
Sometimes working on this 24-part series seems like a long, tough task, but the sentiments expressed in your anonymous comment make it worthwhile. I know that others out there feel as you do. As for your tears, surely God is crying with us.
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