Magyar Egyház, 2007 (86. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2007-10-01 / 3-4. szám
4. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ MUNKÁCSY’S CHRIST The Trilogy’s Biblical and theological explanation By Professor Botond Gaal, Debrecen, Hungary (Continued from the previous issue) Ecce homo - 1896 Biblical scholars mention three attempts by Pilate to rescue Christ: the episode with Herod, the Barabbas instance and this “Ecce Homo” scene. He uses shrewd political strategy in order not to offend the Jews. As a fourth, I would include his hand washing also, which, according to Jewish traditions was an expression of blamelessness. Now let us examine the “Ecce homo”. The horrendous crowd it seems not to be made up by human beings, but by concentrated emotions, passions and thoughts radiating from the canvas. This is the observer’s impression anyway. This monumental creation is an internal scene within the multiples portrayed in Christ before Pilate. Seventy-four characters are visible in this painting. Munkácsy probably returned to this event and embarked on painting this, because he realized after the initial two works of art that the drama could be and should be expanded with an additional act. Obviously he felt a void having serious and significant messages to convey. We can sense the interposition of spatial and chronological planes to a much lesser extent. There is no real necessity for this since the events and Christ’s depiction is so stunning, that it carries in itself an entire series of affairs. Herod Antipas dispatches Jesus back to Pilate dressed in white garments. The real course of events has been the following: the governor had repeated talks with Jesus indoors and periodically would come out to address the crowd citing the innocence of the accused. Based on biblical accounts, at least four of such moves to and fro can be established. The public hearing is over, and since Pilate is aware of the people’s savage, unrelenting “deadly” fury, orders Jesus to be flogged in the inner court, according to Roman customs. The soldiers seized his clothes, bound him to a post and gored his bare body with a leaded whip, all the while mocking him as their amusement: “Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.” (John 19:3) The gospels of Matthew and Mark interpret this as a sign of the death sentence, while the detailed narrative of Luke and John perceives the flogging as a last rescue attempt, hoping that the mob would take pity on Jesus. The apostle John tells the subsequent occurrences the most concisely: “Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him." The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." (John 19:4-7) The Roman soldiers dress Jesus in the clothes shown in the painting, naturally to ridicule him further. The “King of the Jews” received the appropriate regalia: the purple mantle, the crown of thorns and the royal scepter in form of a reed. The Roman soldiers didn't quite understand what it all meant. They truly disliked the Jews, having been disdained as pagans. Emotions flare when Jesus appears, and all the stares, the rage and concentration focus on him. The entryway and its surroundings are dominated by the Roman troops, firm power and authority radiates somehow from the background, from the figures there. Their security rests upon their armaments. The line of the two columns acts as a verge separating two different worlds. On the right Caiaphas stands observantly on the steps, watching to avoid any blunders during the political trial. He is attentive and ready to even intervene, should the need arise. Below him, seeking shelter in the corner, Mary Magdalene’s posture expresses her horror of seeing Jesus the way he is. In the left corner of the painting the elder female’s gesture of turning away expresses this: Monstrous! He is finished! Behind her, the disciple John gives comfort to the unconscious mother of Jesus. A little to their right, again a mother can be seen with her two children, perhaps the boy in blue who is frightened by the sight of the bloodied Jesus, also belongs to her. Most likely he never saw anything like this. The man dressed in blue with his arms raised high seems experienced in going with the flow of the collective tempers. The previously mentioned mother’s gesture as a “daughter of Jerusalem” foresees her and her children’s uncertain future in these proceedings. Farther away, under the arcade, someone’s clasped hands expresses empathy with the sufferer, below him another, however, has a crazed grin as he motions in his direction. The highlighted pretty female face in the heart of the multitude perhaps belongs to one healed by Jesus or made into his follower. (Luke chapters 7 and 8) Perhaps precisely the one saved from being stoned and who had her sins forgiven. And naturally there is the immense looking furious mob. These are the circumstances surrounding Jesus when Pilate addresses the crowd, which immediately reacts. Pilate begins with: “Behold the man!” - Ecce homo! This instantly releases cruel tempers. - Let us make an attempt to understand the meaning of this Ecce homo, in the present situation, I propose. It has a different meaning for a Roman and different still for a Jew. Pilate did not intend this phrase as a disparagement against Jesus, nor against the Jews. It is best to have the Greco- Roman person’s frame of mind scrutinized behind this expression. Not a king, only but a man is standing here, just like anyone of you, - we can almost here the underlying concept. He could be saying: “well, now, look at your king”, but he doesn’t. Only Ecce homo is spoken! Pilate would like to rescue this man, because he does not comprehend why he should be executed. We know from cultural history that the Romans had a respect for humanity. Personal identity and individualism was prioritized over society. In the eye of a Roman, fairness was prized. Jews however were not cared for too much because of their biased religious convictions. “And if Pilate was still able to come across a man among them, he recognized Christ about to be crucified as such.” Jesus did not contradict Pilate; he carried himself, and endured the suffering, with dignity, even when humiliated. Certainly, it comes from a Roman: Behold the man! - meaning: look at this man, who deserves some compassion. He, no doubt, wants to raise some sympathy in the Jews. The story indicates that this attempt was futile also, because the Jews have a different perception. They have dreamed of a glorious Messiah, who can achieve the joyous golden crown of victory on a political, spiritual and religious arena, not one who gets himself lowered to the abysmal depths of an inhumane state, like the person before them. God’s violated glory needs to be protected from such individuals, therefore: “Crucify him!” One of our prominent New Testament scholars, Ernő Mátyás notes, that the massive and dark forces of “a faithless humanity and an
