27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they knelt down before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
(Matthew 27:27-29, WEBBE)
Reflection
To be crowned with thorns is not only to feel the physical pain of thorns piercing one’s head. It is to suffer humiliation. It is to be mocked and belittled by those who do not even know who you are or what you’re going through.
Haven’t we felt like that many times in life? As Christians, how many times have you felt that you have already been judged even before you say a single word? How many times have you been considered an outcast by those who are in power?
People like to feel that they are in control, that they have power over others. To do that, they may try to put others down and hurt anyone whoever gets in their way.
In God’s eyes, however, it is not the proud who will be honored. It is the humble man who can please the Lord.
Remember that we are not here to please people. We must do what we think is right and leave all else to God who is merciful and just.
“If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.” – Helen Burns (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë )
The thing about hope is that it’s a positive force that shines the most when it’s dark. When everything’s going well, we hardly notice it’s there. But when things go against us, when our dreams fade and when we see no immediate reprieve from our troubles, that’s when hope does its best work for us.
"Where Hope Can Be Found"