Christ the King, Year B; St. Ann's.
Crucifixion was not just
designed to kill. It was not just designed to superadd pain or terror on top of
what would necessarily accompany death. It was designed to mock. Specifically,
it was designed to mock those who had “ideas above their stations,” those who
thought they were higher than they were. When people who were enslaved revolted
or harmed their slaveholders, crucifixion was a common punishment meted out.
The message was clear: “You think you were high and mighty? Well, we’ll show
you who’s mighty: The Roman Empire is. And we’ll show you just what happens to
people who try to exalt themselves: we’ll exalt you, we’ll lift you up, as we
slowly kill you.”
