The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 232

hore by St. Luke, seems to imply tlmt the insulting la.ngnage "-a mneb stronger term. soldiers mooked hie agony of thiret----one of Farrar suggest.a that at first, during the the tortures induced by crucifi:r.:ion-by early hours of the Crucifixion, in the madneBB liftiu.!l' up to his parched, fevered lips, of anguish and despair, they both probably vessels couto.ining their sour wine, o.nd then joined in the reprosches levelled by all snatching them h1tetily away. (3) The classes alike at One who might seem to them third (John :1ix. 28-30) relates that here to bavo thrown away a great opportunity. the Lord, utterly exb1tustcd, o.sked for and They, no doubt, knew something, possibly reoeived this lo.st refreshment, which re- mnch, of Jesus' career, and how he had vived, for a very brief spo.ce, his fo.st failing deliberately prevented more than once the powers, and gave him strength for bis la8t multitmle from proclaiming- him King. utterances. 'l'he soldiers, perhaps 1tcting Watching him as be hung bravely patient under the orders of the compassiono.tc on his cross, only breaking the dread centmion in command, perhaps touched silence with a low-mutterecl prayer for hi~ with awe by tbe bro.ve po.tience and strange murderers to his Father, one of theac mi,- dignity of the dying Lord, did him this last guided men changed his opinion of his kindly office. fellow-Sufferer, changed his opinion, too, of Ver. 38.-And a supersoription also was his own past coreer. There, dying with a written over him in letters of Gl'eek, and prayer for others on his lips, was the Ex- Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF ample of true heroism, of real patriotism. THE lEWS. The older authorities omit" in If thou be Christ. The more ancient letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew," authorities read, A rt thou not the Christ 1 but the fact is indisputable, for we read the But the other. In the Apocryphal Gospel of same statement in John xix. 20, where in the Nicodemus the names of the two are given oldor nuthorities the order of the titles is, as Dysmo.s and Gysmas, and these names •• in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek." appear still in Calvaries and stations in Such multiling-ual inscriptions were common Roman Catholic foods. Seeing thou art in in the great provincial cities of the empire, the same oondemoation. Hie words might where so many nationalities were wont to be paraphrased, "How canst thou, e. dying congregate. 'l'he four reports of tho inscrip- mau, join these mere lookers-on at our execu- tions slightly differ verbally, not substan. tion and agony? we are undergoing it our- tinlly, Pi late probably (see uote, on ver. 33, selves. Dost thou net fear God 1 In 11 few on effeetof accurate rendering of John xiL hours we shall be before him. We have at 19, "and Pilate wrote a title also") wrote a all events deserved our doom; hnt not this rough: draft with his own hand, "Rex Ju- Sufferer whom you revile. What has he clroorum hie est." One of the officials trnns- done?" hte,l freely into Hebrew and Greek the Ver. 42.-And he said unto lesus. Lord, Homan governor's Latin memorandum of remember me when thou comest into thy what he desired to have written iu black on kingdom. The mo.jority of the older authori- the white gypsum-smeared board to be ties omit" Lord." 'l'he traflelation should affixed to the upper arm of the cross. run thus: A.nd he said, Jesus, remember m11 tDhen thou ~omest in thy kingdom-in, not into. c•i,;i•n 7r,c, "'U:l,, ,,.,, (Jolm). The ,penitent looked forward to the dying 'O /JacnJ..,1,J .,.,;;., 'Iou5a(..,., (Mark). Jesus coming agaiu in (arrayed in) his Bez Jud111orum hie e,t (Luke), kingly dignity, surrounded with his power and glory. Very touching is this confidence Dr. Farrar suggests that the title over the of the dying in the Dying One who was cross WAS as above. St. Matthew's is au hanging by his side, his Inst garment token o.ccurate combin11tion of the three, and was from him; very striking is this trust of the not improbably, as a combination of the three poor penitent, tb11t the forsaken Lord will one inscriptions, tho oommon form reproduced day appenr again o.s King in his glory. He, in the first or11l Gospel. and he alone, on that dreo.d ,lay rend aright Vere. 89, 40.-And one of the malefactors the superscription which mocking Pilo.te whioh were hanged railed on him, saying, had fixed above the cross, " Thi..• i• the IGng If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But of the Jtws." He read "with Di vine clear- the other answering rebuked him, saying, sightedness in this deepest night" (Krum- Dost not thou fe11r God t In the first two maoher). He asks for no spedal place in synoptists we read how, shorlly 11fter they that kingdom whose advent ho sees c!early were nailed to their crosses, both thieves nppro11chiug; be ouly ask~ the King not "reviled" Jesus, The Greek word, how- to forget him tbon. On this koowlodgo or ever, useJ by 88. llfotthew and Mark is the thief concerning the second advent of .:w,rn,(011 (reproached). The word used by Christ, Meyer well writes, "'fhe thief must St. Luke in this place of the impeni lent one hnve become acquointed with the pre,lic- is ifJ)l.aa<fnlµe,, " begnn to uao inJ uri0WI lloijd tio1:1s of Jes11~ CQqccrnioi, his coming, whioh l,llll-E,-U, 6'  242 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O ST. LUKE. [en. um. 1-66.