Bonaventure describes the mockery given by the soldiers. But what is rarely noticed is that the soldiers are actually engaged in anti-Semitism. They are mocking Jesus for being king, especially King of the Jews. They are making fun of this complete stranger, not because they know him for who he is, nor because he is some criminal, but rather because it was said by someone that he was the ruler of the Jews. So they mocked him by bowing to him, giving him a crown of thorns, a reed as his scepter and then punching him and abusing him. This is because, out of their frustration of living in a foreign land, of having to work with this stubborn people, they wanted to take it out on someone. They saw the Jewish people as deserving mocking, deserving beating.
Two things to note then: That although they meant it in a mocking way, Jesus truly did deserve the crown, truly did deserve the scepter and the bowing. Much of what is done to him is done to display the reality, although unknown to the soldiers. Secondly, we need to remember that if any of us take part in anti-Semitism, then we are actually participating in the acts of the soldiers who crucified our Lord. We are participating in putting the sign over Jesus’ head “King of the Jews”. We continue the work that they had ceased long ago.
“He is your King and your God who is accounted as a leper and the last of men”- Bonaventure
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