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Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 24, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 4.

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Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Chapter L.— On Golgotha

AR in advance of Matthias and Bar-jona, the rabble had reached Golgotha; and already a sound, as of the driving of nails with heavy hammers, together with loud shouts and clamoring voices, reached their ears, as they wearily climbed the hill.
It was already near noon, and the hot sun breathed his fiery breath through the palpitating air, and threw fervid kisses upon the white brow of Calvary.
"O Matthias! man, how can I endure to look upon the sight!" moaned Bar-jona, his white lips trembling as he pointed to the hilltop, where three rude crosses with the tortured victims already nailed upon them, suddenly burst upon their view, at a sharp turn in the foot-path.
"Ah! they have crucified Him with the two thieves who were with Barabbas!" exclaimed Matthias.
"They have crucified Him! O Thou Man of Sorrows! Thou art indeed acquainted with grief,—even as saith the prophet," moaned Bar-jona, "and we trusted that it had been Thou who shouldest have redeemed Israel."
"But surely it must not be!" exclaimed a deep voice near them. "Surely the Miracle-Worker will come down from the cross, to the confusion of His enemies."
Matthias turned his head, and beheld his old friend Varro, the Samaritan.
"Ho, Varro! whither goest thou?" he questioned, turning to the giant form which was hurrying past him, toward the hill summit. The man paused a moment.
"Is it thou, Matthias? I am come up to Jerusalem from Gadara, where I have been that I might fulfil the word of the Nazarene thy Master when He healed me; for He commanded me, saying, 'Go to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee.' But verily, young man, thy people, even Israel, have delivered this Man to death; and in that they have done this, they have overtopped the wickedness of the Samaritans and the heathen." And with an expression of over-mastering sadness upon his rugged countenance, Varro passed on.
At that moment there sounded from the hill summit a Voice which reached every ear in the vast multitude despite the din and confusion:
"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
At these words, some of the soldiers paused in their awful work, and gazed in astonishment upon the divine Sufferer. But others paused not for a moment; and their brutal laughter rang out over the hill of death.
"See, Matthias!" exclaimed Bar-jona, quickening his pace, unmindful of his extreme exhaustion; "see! they are bearing away the form of a woman from the foot of the cross. O my Master! my Master! how can I endure the sight! for behold, it is Thy mother whom Thou so tenderly lovest." And the speaker groaned. Great sweat drops stood upon his broad forehead, and his bearded lips twitched painfully, as the mob parted for a moment to allow the fainting woman to be borne away.
"Ah, John! thou son of Zebedee," continued Bar-jona, addressing the young man who tenderly supported the drooping head of the woman as they passed by, "ah, thou son of Zebedee, hath not the Hope of Israel perished?"
"Verily, O Bar-jona," mournfully replied the other, "we trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel."
"Behold!" exclaimed Matthias, "the soldiers of Pilate sit dividing the garments of the Crucified among them."
At this moment there passed by, from the midst of the clamoring throng, the familiar form of the man servant Demas.
"Aha! aha!" he cried mockingly. "Seest thou now thy Master, Bar-jona? Of a truth His feet will no more walk upon the waves of Galilee as once we saw them—you and I, Bar-jona, when thou also didst try the tricks of the Conjurer! Aha! aha! rememberest thou that—how thou didst cry out when the waters closed about thee, saying 'Lord, save me?'" Demas laughed boisterously; and as he passed on, he raised his voice to a shrill shriek, as he cried again and again, "He saved others; Himself He can not save!" And this shrill cry was taken up by the multitude, until it echoed and re-echoed over the dismal hill of death, mingled with the wailing cries of many women who had joined themselves to the multitude. "Look!" exclaimed Matthias; "there is Shaphan, the rabbi of Nazareth; see how he mocketh Him! but behold, one of the thieves who hangeth by the side of the Master hath turned his sorrowful eyes toward Him, and—"
Before Matthias could finish his words, the trembling voice of the suffering thief sounded clear, above the din:
"Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom, remember me!"
Even Rabbi Shaphan hurried forward and bent his head anxiously to catch the reply; and the soldiers who sat by, busy with their dice as they quarreled over the garments of the Crucified, hushed for a moment their loud voices, and listened also, to catch the answer of the Man. The eyes of Bar-jona and Matthias filled with sudden tears, as the answer rang out.
"Even this day do I say unto thee, Thou shalt verily be with Me in Paradise."
"Sawest thou the look in the Master's eyes as He regarded the thief?" questioned Matthias reverently.
"Aye," responded a soft voice near them; "the look in the eye of the Godlike Nazarene was the same as when He said unto me, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole!'"
"It is the sister of Jazer, the scribe," whispered Bar-jona, "even the woman Huldah, who did but touch the hem of the garment of our Master, and she was made whole."
"Verily they have crucified the Desire of Israel," moaned another, a poor woman who stood near, wearing the badge of widowhood, tears of anguish streaming down her face. "Truly the heart of the Master is tender and gentle toward all, as the heart of a woman for her child. Not long ago, I went up to the temple to worship," she continued, addressing another woman, "and as I saw the rich casting gold into the treasury, I said in mine heart, 'O that I also might give somewhat unto the God of Israel for all His benefits toward me; for lo, He hath fed me and given me life these many years.' Now I had in my hand two mites; it was all I had. But I said, 'Jehovah hath fed me thus far, He will feed me still.' So I watched until I thought no man would see me, for verily I feared the scorn of the Pharisees; and then quickly I dropped my two mites into the box, and turned to go again out of the temple. But as I raised my eyes, behold, this Nazarene Prophet had seen me; His gentle eyes met mine, and I knew by the soft light in them that He read my very heart. Then He spake to the men who followed Him—His disciples—'See ye this woman? for verily she hath put into the treasury more than they all; for all these have given of their abundance; but she of her penury hath cast in more than they all—for she hath given all the living that she had.'" And the woman turned weeping away.
"Seest thou the inscription which hath been placed above the brow of the Master? Behold, Bar-jona, what they have written!" exclaimed Matthias, "and the reading of it teareth my heart: 'This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.' And see; there is Rufus, the guardsman of Herod Antipas—he who took from him the head of my master, John the Baptizer—he is also the son of Varro—but he heedeth not the words of his father, tho he hath pleaded with him. Ah! they have cast lots for the garments, and this Rufus hath taken the seamless vesture."
"Hush!" exclaimed Bar-jona hoarsely. "Is not that the cry of the Master? See! they are putting the sponge of vinegar to His lips."
"If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross!" Bar-jona turned his head. Close by his side stood the high priest Caiaphas. "Thou that destroyed the temple and buildest it in three days, come down from the cross!" echoed the aged Annas, who stood by the side of Caiaphas, forgetful of his age, and the dignity of his sacred office.
These words were taken up by the howling rabble, and repeated and re-echoed from hundreds of blasphemous throats.
Suddenly Bar-jona turned to Matthias with an exclamation of astonishment:
"Behold, my brother! seest thou not the black mantle which covereth the hot face of the sun?"
Before Matthias could reply, even as he turned his astonished eyes toward the blue and unclouded sky, the mantle of darkness had covered the cross-crowned summit of Golgotha, and crept like a black wave onward toward the city, until the gray walls and massive towers and even the glittering dome and spires of the white temple on Moriah, were lost in a veil of blackness.
The terror of death settled over the scoffing multitude.
"Come, let us go again into the city" cried a hundred trembling voices. A vivid flash of lightning from the terrifying blackness, revealed to the astonished disciples the frightened faces of Annas and Caiaphas, as, with groping hands outstretched in helpless terror, they turned their livid faces toward Jerusalem; and without waiting for friend or servant, they began groping their way slowly down the craggy sides of Golgotha.
"Will He not come down from the cross?" cried many voices. Some of the voices had in them a wail of terror; and some who had been foremost in scoff and jest, smote upon their breasts in fear. But in the faces of some, shone a sudden hope, so they turned their streaming eyes toward their Master.
An hour passed away—a long hour of gloom and horror—but the darkness had not yet lifted.
"See!" cried a trembling voice, "a messenger from the city cometh!"
"I am sent from the palace of the governor, Pontius Pilate!" exclaimed the messenger breathlessly, bounding from his horse and addressing the soldiers who still remained at the summit; "from the palace of Pontius Pilate on Mount Zion am I sent, even from Claudia Procula, the wife of the procurator. For she commanded me with tears, saying, 'Go quickly to Golgotha, and bring me word what hath become of the Nazarene; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him; for verily He is a just man and an holy, and now, lo—the darkness covereth the earth!'"
The messenger smote upon his breast, cast one troubled, anxious look at the Crucified as again a vivid flash of lightning revealed the rugged crosses, and hurried away in direction of the palace on Mount Zion, beating his breast and crying out with fear.
Another hour passed.
"Behold! it is the ninth hour of the day!" exclaimed Bar-jona, "and the Almighty still covereth the earth with the garment of blackness. Thinkest thou, O Matthias, that the Master will yet—"Even as he spoke, the enveloping cloud of darkness was swept away as by a mighty hand. But about the Man still clung the inky mantle. As
the darkness upon Calvary receded, the returning light revealed the shrinking forms of Rabbi Shaphan and his son Tubal, crouching beneath an overhanging ledge of rock, whither they had fled upon the first approach of darkness. But now, emboldened again by the bright light of the sun, they stepped from their hiding-places, and with blatant voices and wagging heads, again sounded the clamorous cry: "Come down from the cross! if Thou be the Messiah of Israel, come down from the cross!"
At a little distance, trembling with terror and dismay, the hot tears of anguish in their eyes and the pallor of death upon their cheeks, crouched Mary Magdalene and her companions, among whom was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, steward of Herod Antipas.
"Ah! my Magdalene," sobbed Joanna, "surely the Master will not die. He must not die! Even now in my memory see I the rich, red wine as the butler brought it from the stone water-pots, fresh from the hand of yonder Miracle-Worker. Verily the God of Israel willeth not that these our enemies should triumph."
"He hideth His Beloved in a cloud of darkness," sighed Magdalene; "but can not He who gave life unto my brother, when he had been four days in his sepulcher, and cast out with His mighty word the seven demons which tore my poor body—can not He, the Mighty One, deliver Himself from His murderers? Yet remember I certain words of the Master, and of a truth these words trouble me, and the darkness which settleth about Him causeth my poor heart to faint. Thinkest thou—"
But her words were lost in the din of the rabble, some of whom were fast regaining their courage as the bright beams of the sun again shone over Calvary.
"Ho, Matthias, son of Sylvanus," sneered Rabbi Shaphan, "why lingerest thou near, as if this Man would indeed come down from yonder cross?"
Suddenly, and before Matthias could reply, a loud voice rose clear and high above the din of the multitude:
"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!"
"What saith the Man?" questioned Tubal, turning to his father. "He calleth for Elias!" declared a dozen voices. "This Man claimeth to be the Son of God, so let us see if Elias will come to His deliverance."
"See ye not," screamed Shaphan, "that the darkness hath settled about Him? and even now, behold, the lightning spendeth its wrath upon Him, because He, being in league with Beelzebub, declareth that He is the Son of God."
The cheek of Bar-jona paled, as he heard the despairing cry of his Master, and his voice shook as he turned to Matthias:
"Verily now my heart and my hope faileth. O my Master! art Thou indeed forsaken of Thy Father? and I—whither shall I go? for I trusted that it had been Thou who shouldest have redeemed Israel."
"But see! Bar-jona, the cloud hath once more settled over the city and over the holy temple—and O my brother! the glory of Jehovah shineth about the Master!" and Matthias pointed toward the illuminated cross.
But even as he spoke, the voice of the Crucified again rang out; and the wonderful words echoed to the heaven of heavens, and the angels about the throne of eternal glory repeated them:
"It is finished!"
Instantly the glory-circled head drooped upon the pulseless breast.
"Come, my Magdalene," cried Joanna, as the cry rang out, "let us go even to the foot of the cross, for the Hope of Israel hath perished!"
"Verily!" cried a deep voice from the multitude, "the 'midst of the week' hath fully come, and the Messiah hath indeed been cut off."
"I knew not that thou wast this Man's disciple, O Nicodemus," replied one of the scribes, scornfully.
"Thou art too wise a man, O Nicodemus," exclaimed Rabbi Shaphan, "to be led by this Carpenter! Why should He deceive thee? Knowest thou not the prophets? for of a truth Messiah shall come in glory and honor; but this Man is born in poverty—a carpenter—and will He deliver Israel gloriously and reign in Jerusalem? See! He hangeth high upon the cross of Pontius Pilate the Roman governor! Then how shall this Fellow deliver Israel from the yoke of the Romans!"
While Rabbi Shaphan yet spoke, there came a mighty trembling of the earth. The face of the rabbi again turned white with fear as he cried hoarsely:
"Behold, the rocks of Golgotha are rent in twain! What meaneth it?"
"And see! the tombs of the buried dead are rocked and cleft asunder as by a mighty hand!" cried many voices.
"Truly, this Man was the Son of God!" exclaimed one of the centurions, whom they called Lucius.
Again a pall of blackness was stretched over the heavens, and bloody Golgotha trembled and shook like a reed in the wind. The brutal jest and the mocking laugh were changed again in one awful moment, to shrieks of wildest terror.
"Come! let us haste from this accursed spot!" cried many voices. Amid the direful confusion, the loud voice of a messenger from the city was heard above the din:
"Behold! the veil of the holy temple hath been rent from the top to the bottom; and I, even I, saw the fingers of a bloodless hand, and it tore the massive drapery as if it had been a spider's web! Then the lamb, which the priest was about to offer, escaped, unhurt, from the temple; and I hastened to Golgotha that I might know what had become of Jesus of Nazareth."
Again the deep voice from the outskirts of the fleeing throng cried aloud:
"The midst of the week hath fully come; and the Messiah hath been cut off!"
(To be continued)