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"Etude No. 11: Lent Anime" |
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This is Spanish/classical
guitar by Villa Lobos,
from their Villa Lobos:
The Sounds of Brazil CD,
released by KCO Records
in 2007.
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"Trial Before Pilate" | |
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There's been a number of
recordings of Andrew Lloyd
Webber's famous rock opera,
Jesus Christ Superstar,
and this one carries the
"music theater" pedigree -
a little light on ROCK.
Nevertheless, it gets great reviews.
It's from a London cast recording
brought out in '06 on the
Decca Broadway label.
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From THE URANTIA BOOK
Part IV, 185, 6-8
Then Pilate led forth this bleeding and lacerated prisoner and,
presenting him before the mixed multitude, said: "Behold the man! Again I declare to you that I find no crime in him, and having scourged him, I would release him."
There stood Jesus of Nazareth,
clothed in an old purple royal robe with a crown of thorns piercing his kindly brow. His face was bloodstained and his form bowed down with suffering and grief. But nothing can appeal to the unfeeling hearts of those who are victims of intense emotional hatred and slaves to religious prejudice. This sight sent a mighty shudder through the realms of a vast universe, but it did not touch the hearts of those who had set their minds to effect
the destruction of Jesus.
When they had recovered from the first shock of seeing the Master's plight,
they only shouted the louder and the longer, "Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him!"
And now did Pilate comprehend that it was futile to appeal to their supposed feelings of pity. He stepped forward and said: "I perceive that you are determined this man shall die, but what has he done to deserve death?
Who will declare his crime?"
Then the high priest himself stepped forward and, going up to Pilate, angrily declared:
"We have a sacred law, and by that law this man ought to die because he made himself out to be the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was all the more afraid, not only of the Jews, but recalling his wife's note and the Greek mythology of the gods coming down on earth, he now trembled at the thought of Jesus possibly being a divine personage. He waved to the crowd to hold its peace while he took Jesus by the arm and again led him inside the building that he might further examine him. Pilate was now confused by fear, bewildered by superstition, and harassed by the stubborn attitude of the mob.
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As Pilate, trembling with fearful emotion,
sat down by the side of Jesus, he inquired: "Where do you come from? Really, who are you? What is this they say, that you are the Son of God?"
But Jesus could hardly answer such questions when asked by a man-fearing, weak, and vacillating judge who was so unjust as to subject him to flogging even when he had declared him innocent of all crime, and before he had been duly sentenced to die. Jesus looked Pilate straight in the face, but he did not answer him. Then said Pilate: "Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not realize that I still have power to release you or to crucify you?" Then said Jesus: "You could have no power over me except it were permitted from above. You could exercise no authority over the Son of Man unless the Father in heaven allowed it. But you are not so guilty since you are ignorant of the gospel. He who betrayed me and he who delivered me to you, they have the greater sin.
This last talk with Jesus thoroughly frightened Pilate. This moral coward and judicial weakling now labored under the double weight of the superstitious fear of Jesus and mortal dread of the Jewish leaders.
Again Pilate appeared before the crowd, saying:
"I am certain this man is only a religious offender. You should take him and judge him by your law. Why should you expect that I would consent to his death because he has clashed with your traditions?"
Pilate was just about ready to release Jesus when Caiaphas, the high priest,
approached the cowardly Roman judge and, shaking an avenging finger in Pilate's face, said with angry words which the entire multitude could hear: "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend, and I will see that the emperor knows all." This public threat was too much for Pilate. Fear for his personal fortunes now eclipsed all other considerations, and the cowardly governor ordered Jesus brought out before the judgment seat. As the Master stood there before them, he pointed to him and tauntingly said, "Behold your king." And the Jews answered, "Away with him. Crucify him!" And then Pilate said, with much irony and sarcasm, "Shall I crucify your king?" And the Jews answered, "Yes, crucify him! We have no king but Caesar." And then did Pilate realize that there was no hope of saving Jesus since he was unwilling to defy the Jews.
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Here stood the Son of God incarnate as the Son of Man.
He was arrested without indictment; accused without evidence; adjudged without witnesses; punished without a verdict; and now was soon to be condemned to die by an unjust judge who confessed that he could find no fault in him. If Pilate had thought to appeal to their patriotism by referring to Jesus as the "king of the Jews," he utterly failed. The Jews were not expecting any such a king. The declaration of the chief priests and the Sadducees, "We have no king but Caesar," was a shock even to the unthinking populace, but it was too late now to save Jesus even had the mob dared to espouse the Master's cause.
Pilate was afraid of a tumult or a riot.
He dared not risk having such a disturbance during Passover time in Jerusalem. He had recently received a reprimand from Caesar, and he would not risk another. The mob cheered when he ordered the release of Barabbas. Then he ordered a basin and some water, and there before the multitude he washed his hands, saying: "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You are determined that he shall die, but I have found no guilt in him. See you to it. The soldiers will lead him forth." And then the mob cheered and replied,
"His blood be on us and on our children."
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A saeta (Spanish) is a revered style of religious song
that has evolved over a number of centuries, usually
performed during processions, or similar ceremonies,
such as this one - The Way (or Stations) of the Cross.
Carlos Fernandez Aransay is featured here,
from the '09 Signum Classics CD -
Yanomami - Music For Choir And Guitar.
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This is the title cut to the movie soundtrack
by Peter Gabriel -
Music For The Last Temptation Of Christ,
released in 2010 on the
REAL WORLD RECORDS label.
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Pontius Pilate was the first great censor
and Jesus Christ the first great victim of censorship.
Ben Lindsey, d. 1943
American Judge and Social Reformer
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