Third Station: Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin

And as soon as it was day, the ancients of the people, and the chief priests and scribes, came together; and they brought him into their council, saying: If thou be the Christ, tell us. And he saith to them: If I shall tell you, you will not believe me. And if I shall also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go. But hereafter the Son of man shall be sitting on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all: Art thou then the Son of God? Who said: You say that I am. And they said: What need we any further testimony? for we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth.
(Lk 22:66-71, Douay-Rheims Version)

Who were these men who condemned Jesus? Were they just and upright men? The Sanhedrin was made up of leading men of the Pharisees as well as the chief priests of the Temple. The Gospels recounted how Jesus had called the Pharisees fit for hell or brood of vipers (Mt 23:15,33, Jerusalem Bible), but never useless or worthless. Jesus wonders how they could escape being condemned to hell (Mt 23:33, Jerusalem Bible), but never actually says that they would be going to hell. Jesus’ words were not meant to say that these men are irredeemable but were words of warning that they were heading that way. Jesus wanted to give them the chance to realise their folly. Yet for these men, Jesus needed to be killed: But one of them, Ca’iaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” (John 11:49-50, Revised Standard Version)

Like the Pharisees, I have also judged others and condemned them. My conscience would prick me after my emotions calm and I realise how rash I have been. My conscience would be like Nicodemus, who had earlier asked if it was right to judge a person without properly examining the facts:

Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.”

Nicode'mus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.”
(John 7:44-52, Revised Standard Version)

The response of the Pharisees was one of presumption and discrimination. When I examine the rash judgements I had made before, I can see that there was presumption and discrimination as well. Jesus knew their motives and yet chose to keep silent. Instead of arguing with them, he stated the facts simply: the members of the Sanhedrin had already made up their minds and His replies no longer mattered to them. In fact, in all the Gospels, the Sanhedrin were not really interested in the truth but to find something to justify the sentence they had already passed. When I judge rashly, I actually close myself to the truth. Whether I was in the right or not, whether I had justification or not, it mattered not. I had already made up my mind and was not going to move away from my decision regarding a person. In that sense, I have condemned someone like the Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus.

How often I needed to admit that I was impulsive and had made a rash decision? How often had I to face and apologise and find some way to make reparation? How often had I found my ego being a stumbling block to doing that? How often had I found myself condemned instead and endure the consequent tirade? I had to ask the Lord for the courage to face to my sin and make reparation. I had to remind myself that I had deserved the scolding but the person that I had condemned earlier did not. It is not easy to eat humble pie, and I had often had to pray to the Lord for the grace to endure it.

The golden rule, as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them (Lk 6:31, Revised Standard Version), is an ethical rule found in many religions. If I do not want to be condemned, I should not condemn others. That is a simple rule but it is not easy to follow because I am a sinner. I can only rely on the grace of God to keep to the path. The version in St. Matthew’s Gospel reads: So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (Mt 7:12, Revised Standard Version) What is ironic is that this is what Hillel, a leader of the Sanhedrin that lived at a time before Jesus was born, had taught: What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbour: while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it. (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbath 31a)

I believe that Jesus Himself set a higher standard in His parable regarding the last judgement: Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. … Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. (Mt 25:40,45, Revised Standard Version)