The Danger of the Court of Public Opinion
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
“He’s guilty! She says he did it and she must be believed!”
“There’s no substantiating evidence. He can’t prove he wasn’t there and she can’t prove he was.”
As I watched the American political theatre this week, I became angry (this happens pretty often) and worried (this also happens too much) about what would happen if a woman brought forth an unsubstantiated and slanderous claim against my husband or my sons. And as I stormed around in a huff and yelled at my TV (my current hobby, it seems), I became so upset I finally asked Jesus to show me what, if anything, I needed to say about this.
Well…He came through as always. He gave me a vision of Mary as she watched her beautiful son, Jesus, being accused and mistreated in the public square.
As she watched the charade, Mary’s mind must have wandered back over her life with Jesus. Don’t you think she had marveled at how perfectly her son had always behaved? He had never lied or done anything wrong. Do you think she had compared him to other children as mothers do? Don’t you think she was proud? I wonder if she ever allowed herself to think her parenting skills had something to do with his awesomeness.
And then…back to the reality in front of her eyes. Her baby (he was always her baby) standing in the filthy public square. An angry mob pressing in on him. Their vacuous mouths hurling curses. Spittle, the froth of rage, forming on their lips which they huffed and spat on her baby.
The booming voice of Pilate, the governor, asks the mob, “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Christ?”
“Crucify him!”
So Pilate, though hesitant, ordered Jesus be executed. For the mob to be appeased and for political expediency, Jesus had to be killed. Period.
And there to the side stood Mary. Her soft brown eyes brimming with tears, as her beautiful, innocent son is encircled by a blood-thirsty mob.
It’s easy to believe we’re not like those who wanted Jesus crucified. But…we are just like them.
Jesus was a threat to power. He knew then what we need to remember. We are capable of killing or destroying an innocent man for political expediency.
Whatever happens with the Kavanaugh drama, America is supposed to have a fair system of justice where a person is presumed innocent first. The accused has no burden to prove their innocence. Proof of guilt lies with the accuser.
Does anyone else find it crazy that we are judging a man of the court (a judge) in an unfair system of judgment? Oh, the irony.
Love y’all,
Ginny
P.S. We know Jesus forgave his accusers and those who killed him (read us). But, did his mother, Mary, ever forgive them? If it were your son, could you?
The Conversation
Ginny, this reminds me of a solo I sang years ago, “Carry Him Gently” it is the voice of Mary telling those removing Christ from the cross, to “carry Him gently, my baby.” I had a hard time with this one every single time. I love that you remind us here that Jesus, our Savior, was always, always, His mother’s baby.
Thank you for your time and comment. I can’t imagine how Mary dealt with how Jesus was treated.
Ginny, this is very well stated. I appreciate your anger and am sick of the slander propagated by politics. This whole drama reminds me of a story I heard when the Communists took over China and children were forced to accuse their parents of “crimes,” which led to their persecution and deaths. We are indeed, just like the mob that was stirred up against Jesus. We must pray for the innocent to be rescued and the false accusers to be shown for what they are.
Thank you so much 😊. I’m working on a new hobby, for the sake of my mental health. Lol
Yes, and then there’s mary and her amazing baby boy. <3 Love this!