Lenten Reflections - Longinus 

Let me take you on a journey. You are in first century Israel; your name is Longinus and today is Good Friday. This week has been seriously busy, and Jerusalem has been full with Jews and all sorts of visitors who have come for the Passover. You, however, are employed by Rome to oversee the Crucifixions.  

Overseeing this one, however, will change your life forever. Three prisoners, on three crosses are in front of you. Dismas on your left, Gestas on your right and Jesus in the centre.

Two of them are thieves, but Jesus is different. Jesus has been labelled “King of the Jews”. He has been charged with blasphemy, claiming to be the Son of God. Everyone seems to be mocking Jesus. The crowd that’s gathered, the lads you work with, even one of the thieves is having a go. This Jesus though seems to be ignoring it all. Just quietly dying.

You wonder why he is not getting angry, why he’s just letting it wash over him. You wonder how mentally strong you could be under those circumstances.

Guilty or not, he seems a remarkable character. Who was he? Does he really need to be crucified? There’s something about him. You can’t put your finger on it. You stare into his eyes. Big brown eyes mixed with blood from that crown of thorns. Unlike the other two though, these eyes lack the anger and hatred in the other two being crucified. If anything, it is the opposite. There’s compassion there. Strange.

Your attention is diverted, hearing the screams of one woman in particular. This Jesus man is calling to her. You realise it is the mother of Jesus. You can see how helpless she must feel.

What can you do though? You are a Centurion and must act accordingly. You think of your own mother and how she would feel.

Today’s tough. Jesus is talking to his mother and another who is with her. They hold on to each other. The man next to her tries to console her. You take a deep breath, but instantly regret it. The air is thick with the aroma of blood and sweat and death coming from the prisoners. It's always like this.

Part of the job perhaps but doesn’t make it right. You are drawn to his eyes again. What is it about those eyes? You’ve never met the man. His eyes are like the eyes of many other people. You contemplate them. You try to make sense of it all.

As you look intently, Jesus looks back at you. He looks at you like he knows you. Really knows you. A bit like a father would his son. A shiver runs down your spine.

You look up to the sky. There’s a storm brewing. The sky seems full of it. Almost like it’s tumultuous at what it sees below. Clouds are blackening and the wind is getting up.  You look around in hope of some sort of shelter. There is none. You knew that already. Weather waits for no one. Living or dying. 

You check on the other two. No compassion from them. Just a cold hard stare. This is a fight they can’t win. No matter how tough they try to be. For now, all seems normal. As time goes on it gets a little darker and the rain starts to fall. Some of the onlookers have seen enough and start heading home. You can’t yet. Still, it is Friday and the sabbath means things need to be sorted in the next couple of hours or so.  Should be an earlier finish. 

Time ticks on. You check on the one in the middle again. He’s exhausted. Normally you have no empathy whatsoever with these criminals. But this one... Is he truly a criminal? You’re not convinced. What if...

Before you finish the question however, Jesus cried out.

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Also, he said “I am thirsty.”

Someone runs off and returns with a sponge on a long stick containing the sourest of wine. The man offered it to Jesus. The sponge was rejected.

Jesus cried out in a loud voice saying, “it is finished.”

With that Jesus breathed his last. He’s done. 

At that very moment, there was a huge noise. The temple curtain ripped right in half! The skies rumbled loudly, rocks were split, and graves opened. As the dust settled, you continue to look upon the cross.

This was no ordinary Friday. The storm was beyond anything you expected, this Friday was a day that would become known throughout the whole world. You realise that everything this man had said was true. Every single word.

Today, you have seen the face of God. God crucified. For the sins of the whole world. Even you. You remember earlier in the day. Those eyes, the way he looked at you knowingly. He does know you! You’re standing 10 feet away from God made flesh. 

You take a lungful of air, and acknowledge it all: “Truly, this has to be the son of God!”

No more Longinus the Centurion. Right there, your faith has just been born. You are now Longinus, the proud believer of God.

The cross is not death.

The cross is salvation.

The cross is love.

The ultimate love. 

Amen.