Expressions, Touch

Ecce Homo

Looking down He saw

a mass on the hill of skulls.

 

He saw

the crowd whom He led to life

now goading Him to death.

 

He saw

the clacking dice of the soldiers

vultures squabbling for the prize.

 

He saw

the seeking sheep who were lost

spirits willing against weak flesh.

 

He saw

the keepers of the Law

hypocrisy embodied and laced with spite.

 

He saw

the man under authority

seeking to know what is Truth.

 

He saw

the women of Jerusalem

mourning afar.

 

He saw

the outlaws hung on trees

one saved and the other –

 

He saw

His mother’s heart-pierced pain

ebbing on her dust-caked face.

He saw

the disciple who fled but stayed

once lost but now was found.

 

Then He saw across each of these

a little child (who is you and me)

cowering, imploring Him to look away

whimpering, “O unworthy! I sinned against Thee!”

 

And beneath a blood-washed crown He

bowed, smiled and said,

 

“It is finished.”


Ecce Homo is a Latin translation of “behold the man”, the phrase said by Pontius Pilate when he presented Jesus Christ, scourged and crowned with thorns, to the hostile crowd before his Crucifixion.

Background picture by zatletic/Bigstock.com

Jonathan Liautrakul currently works at an education think-tank and worships at Wesley Methodist Church. He is an avid researcher on church history and hymnology

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