Thursday Morning Devotion
Scripture
33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” (Luke 23:33-35)
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” (John 19:23–24)
Reflection
In all likelihood, and in keeping with Roman practice, Jesus was crucified naked. A related detail, which at first seems superfluous but all four Gospels include, conveys that Jesus’ executioners cast dice for his clothes (Mk 15:24; Matt 27:35; Lk 23:34; Jn 19:23–24).
At a historical level, this detail becomes important when we realize it’s a fulfilment of prophecy. Jesus is the forsaken man of Psalm 22, written one thousand years prior: “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots,” (John 19:23 = Psalm 22:18). Though things seem to have spiraled out of control, they are in fact unfolding “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).
At a heart level, the detail of the soldiers gambling becomes especially moving when we hear Jesus’ concurrent words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). Jesus sees more than hardened Roman soldiers when he looks down upon these seemingly callous men; he sees people made in the image of God, who, though embedded in a web of their society’s evils and their own wrongdoing, still find themselves under the shadow of the Cross—where even the most unlikely of us find mercy.
Prayer
O Lord Christ, your eyes seem always to hold mercy. Look upon us, when we are at our worst and most blind, as you did these soldiers, praying that God the Father would have mercy upon us. And Lord Christ, teach us who receive such mercy, to learn from you to also love our enemies.
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Artwork: The Three Crosses by Rembrandt van Rijn, Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments inside the Church of Holy Cross in Sisak, Croatia, and Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments relief from Saint Antoine church, Brussels