Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Mark 15:17-19a They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.
PURPLE: THE COLOR FOR SUFFERING AND SORROW
Nobody likes to be made fun of. Whether you are a child or an adult, none of us like it when others tease us in mean ways or tell us that we're stupid and don't know anything. So when the soldiers had Jesus under arrest, had put a purple robe on Him and then started to mock Him for who He was, we can put ourselves in the Lord's shoes. We know that it would have been hard for Him to endure all that scorn and ridicule.
The soldiers made fun of Jesus because He said He was the King of the Jews and yet He did not look like a king. He did not have a castle. He did not have servants waiting on Him hand and foot. He did not wear fancy clothes or a golden crown. He was a king, of course, because He had many who regarded Him as their Master and followed Him with their whole heart (as many still do today). But on that day, He was ridiculed because He called Himself a king.
Purple was a color that was traditionally worn by royalty because the dye that was used to make purple clothing was very expensive. In some places only rulers were allowed to wear purple. By putting a purple robe on the Lord, the soldiers were saying, "If you want to pretend you're a king, we'll pretend too!"
We know that Christ suffered while He was on the cross, but He suffered in other ways even before that. He was tormented by those who did not believe He was the Son of God and the Savior from sin.
When you see purple in church, think about how Jesus patiently endured all the mockery He received (and still receives in our day). Think about how He did not fight back like we so often do when someone makes fun of us. Think about how He went through all this because it was part of the road to the cross -- His ultimate destination where He would give Himself into death for us.
