John 19:17-30 (NRSV)
Read John 19:17-30 on biblegateway.com
Verse 17and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. Verse 18There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.
Verse 19Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Verse 20Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Verse 21Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" Verse 22Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." Verse 23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. Verse 24So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it." This was to fulfill what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." Verse 25And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Verse 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Verse 27Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. Verse 28After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty." Verse 29A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. Verse 30When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Devotion
Nails tear his flesh. Thorns encircle his brow. Love flows like water from his riven side. Like a hollow-point bullet that continually rips apart flesh after entering the body, once upon the cross this holy victim knew that the end was near. Stripped bare, a King assumes his throne. It is finished. Or has it just begun… and we, like Mary, will be taken to a new home.
Prayer
Take us outside the city gates, O God, where children search through garbage for their daily bread. Take us outside the city gates, where jackals roam and vultures descend. Take us outside the city gates, where soldiers mock and our King reigns. Amen.