2. The Scourging

“Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. … and [they] struck him with their hands.” John 19:1,4

When we read the account of the scourging and slapping with intense feeling we experience the deep humiliation and mocking that was inflicted upon Christ Jesus. From humbly giving reverence to all the supports us (washing feet) we are now knocked off our feet.

A great secret lies hidden in the scourging of Jesus who is in the process of receiving Christ into his being. If we do not understand this secret we will not be able to awaken the presence of Christ within ourselves. The Bible is full of guidance about what we can expect as we take the necessary steps to express our Higher Self in our daily life. This is initiation.

One of our first priorities during our initiation is to examine our thinking. We don’t need the thought police; government, church, community for this, but only self-monitoring. To examine our thinking means that we become aware of what we are thinking. We become consciously aware of every single thought that we have, moment by moment. It is astounding how many thoughts zip through our mind unnoticed.

Soon we become shocked, as if beaten, to observe how often we think, “What an idiot so-and-so is” or some other judgmental thought. Then we reach a point where we realise that these thoughts actually affect the other person. Certainly our body language would register what we think of them, even if it is just an eye movement, and they feel our rejection as we have felt the rejection of others in this way. In our judgment we have imprisoned that person with our insensitive thoughts. When the truth of this hits us we ourselves feel scourged. The metaphorical slapping of the other person’s face that arose in our thinking is then felt by us, painfully.

Then we must bear this pain. This is not the only pain we bear but also the pain that come towards us as  a result of being able to express our Higher Self more and more. We join the ranks of those who can stand in the face of pain, the ones who are connecting up with their I AM, the ones who as a consequence become a threat to those who are not. They respond by saying, “Who do you think you are? ie King of the Jews?” If we are expressing ourselves through our I AM then we wouldn’t defend ourselves, we would understand that the other person is actually recognising the work we are doing to raise ourselves up, and at the same time acknowledging the work that they know they will have do to.

When we respond to this inner and outer scourging in a higher way a peace flows from us that is palpable. If we read John chapter 18 carefully we can see that Pilate, who is actually delivering the scourging, is at the same time receiving his own inner scourging. Read his questions, “what have you done?” Jn 18:35 “So you are a king?”  Jn 18:37 “What is truth?” Jn 18:38 We get a sense of Pilate’s equanimity as he is able to stand in his experience and observe, such is the power of true peace.

If you would like to read more about this topic please order my Reflection series Christian Initiation http://bit.ly/9K5bzE