And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Pilate and Herod had been enemies, but they were made friends together on the same day Jesus was tried, when Herod with his men despised and mocked Him and put a splendid robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. Pilate sent Jesus, faint and weary from loss of sleep and food and abuse, to Herod in Jerusalem because as a Galilean He was under Herod's jurisdiction, hoping both to escape responsibility for the trial and to heal their old quarrel by honoring Herod's authority, though both rulers knew He was innocent and the victim of the envy and malice of the priests. Herod was moved by the pure, suffering face of Christ and His serene silence under indignity and feared He might be more than a common man, so though hardened he dared not confirm the condemnation and returned Him to Pilate. Their enmity was thus healed in a corrupt harmony over the trial of the innocent Saviour as they joined in His condemnation to please the malice of the Jews, and if enemies could unite in hatred of Jesus, those who love Him must be far more united in Him, drawing close to their divine Center and to one another in love until all alienation, jealousy, bitterness, and evil-speaking are forever expelled from the soul.
Trial Events and Reconciliation
Pilate and Herod had been at enmity between themselves, but they were made friends together on the same day Jesus was tried. That friendship was formed when Herod with his men of war set Christ at naught and mocked Him and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Pilate's sending of Jesus to Herod was taken by Herod as recognition of his authority and judgment, and this act brought the two rulers together.
Both Pilate and Herod knew that Jesus was innocent and that malice and envy had led the Jewish leaders to condemn Him. Pilate had no thought of condemning Him because he was certain He was the victim of envious and designing priests, yet he dreaded the ill-will of the people. Even so, he himself had declared Jesus innocent.
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because as a Galilean Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction and Herod was then in Jerusalem. He refused to decide the case and sent Him to spare himself further difficulty and escape responsibility for the trial. Jesus was at that time faint and weary from loss of sleep and food and ill-treatment, and was dragged away amid hooting and insults. The transfer was made partly to shift responsibility and partly to heal their old quarrel, with Pilate expecting Herod to take it as acknowledgment of his authority and judgment and even of his superior authority, and thus be reconciled.
Herod would not confirm the condemnation but returned Jesus to Pilate. He knew from the character of the Jews that malice and envy had caused them to charge an innocent man. When he saw Jesus submit passively to indignity with unparalleled serenity, and looked on His pure, pale, suffering face marked with wisdom and purity, he was perplexed and moved by sudden fear that this might be no common man but a god come down to earth. The silence of Jesus convicted his heart and left him ill at ease, so that though hardened he dared not ratify the condemnation.
Their reconciliation came about over the trial of the innocent Saviour. The two magistrates joined in His crucifixion and made their enmity against Jesus effective to please the malice of the Jews. Jesus the Lord of life and glory was crucified to please that malice because the principles He presented did not coincide with their ideas and ambitious aims, for He condemned all guile and all underhanded work of policy for supremacy and every unholy practice.
Call to Unity in Christ
On the day Jesus was about to be crucified, Herod and Pilate, who had before been enemies, were made friends together in a corrupt harmony over the condemnation of the Lord, united through hatred of Him.
If enemies could unite in hatred of Jesus, those who claim to love Jesus are to be far more united in Him, bound heart to heart by the divine principle of love, by the mystic chain of love. They are to draw more closely to their divine Center and closer together, forming a holy alliance to exalt the Son of God before the world. Christ does not withdraw His love despite the perversity and crookedness in men, but manifested unparalleled love to man at the cross of Calvary.
Standing under that cross and looking upon His love, all heart-burnings, alienations, estrangements, antipathies, jealousies, bitterness, wrath, malice, evil-speaking and evil-thinking must cease. They are to be forever expelled from the soul and overcome through the grace of Christ.
Pilate and Herod had been enemies, but they were made friends together on the same day Jesus was tried, when Herod with his men despised and mocked Him and put a splendid robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate.
Pilate sent Jesus, faint and weary from loss of sleep and food and abuse, to Herod in Jerusalem because as a Galilean He was under Herod's jurisdiction, hoping both to escape responsibility for the trial and to heal their old quarrel by honoring Herod's authority, though both rulers knew He was innocent and the victim of the envy and malice of the priests.
Herod was moved by the pure, suffering face of Christ and His serene silence under indignity and feared He might be more than a common man, so though hardened he dared not confirm the condemnation and returned Him to Pilate.
Their enmity was thus healed in a corrupt harmony over the trial of the innocent Saviour as they joined in His condemnation to please the malice of the Jews, and if enemies could unite in hatred of Jesus, those who love Him must be far more united in Him, drawing close to their divine Center and to one another in love until all alienation, jealousy, bitterness, and evil-speaking are forever expelled from the soul.
Trial Events and Reconciliation
Pilate and Herod had been at enmity between themselves, but they were made friends together on the same day Jesus was tried. That friendship was formed when Herod with his men of war set Christ at naught and mocked Him and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Pilate's sending of Jesus to Herod was taken by Herod as recognition of his authority and judgment, and this act brought the two rulers together.
Both Pilate and Herod knew that Jesus was innocent and that malice and envy had led the Jewish leaders to condemn Him. Pilate had no thought of condemning Him because he was certain He was the victim of envious and designing priests, yet he dreaded the ill-will of the people. Even so, he himself had declared Jesus innocent.
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because as a Galilean Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction and Herod was then in Jerusalem. He refused to decide the case and sent Him to spare himself further difficulty and escape responsibility for the trial. Jesus was at that time faint and weary from loss of sleep and food and ill-treatment, and was dragged away amid hooting and insults. The transfer was made partly to shift responsibility and partly to heal their old quarrel, with Pilate expecting Herod to take it as acknowledgment of his authority and judgment and even of his superior authority, and thus be reconciled.
Herod would not confirm the condemnation but returned Jesus to Pilate. He knew from the character of the Jews that malice and envy had caused them to charge an innocent man. When he saw Jesus submit passively to indignity with unparalleled serenity, and looked on His pure, pale, suffering face marked with wisdom and purity, he was perplexed and moved by sudden fear that this might be no common man but a god come down to earth. The silence of Jesus convicted his heart and left him ill at ease, so that though hardened he dared not ratify the condemnation.
Their reconciliation came about over the trial of the innocent Saviour. The two magistrates joined in His crucifixion and made their enmity against Jesus effective to please the malice of the Jews. Jesus the Lord of life and glory was crucified to please that malice because the principles He presented did not coincide with their ideas and ambitious aims, for He condemned all guile and all underhanded work of policy for supremacy and every unholy practice.
Call to Unity in Christ
On the day Jesus was about to be crucified, Herod and Pilate, who had before been enemies, were made friends together in a corrupt harmony over the condemnation of the Lord, united through hatred of Him.
If enemies could unite in hatred of Jesus, those who claim to love Jesus are to be far more united in Him, bound heart to heart by the divine principle of love, by the mystic chain of love. They are to draw more closely to their divine Center and closer together, forming a holy alliance to exalt the Son of God before the world. Christ does not withdraw His love despite the perversity and crookedness in men, but manifested unparalleled love to man at the cross of Calvary.
Standing under that cross and looking upon His love, all heart-burnings, alienations, estrangements, antipathies, jealousies, bitterness, wrath, malice, evil-speaking and evil-thinking must cease. They are to be forever expelled from the soul and overcome through the grace of Christ.