THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Soldiers and Brigands: Mt 27,27-44
As always, we seek to be guided by the text. This part of the Passion begins with the soldiers taking Jesus into the Praetorium in verse 27. The next part opens with a reference to the the sixth hour (or midday) in verse 45.
Both verses 27 and 38 begin with "then", a favourite link word for Matthew though I have not mentioned it often. (There is no "then" in verse 31 (NRSV), see NAB).
Verses 38 and 44 form a bracket around verse 38 to 44 because the reference to the two brigands crucified with Jesus is repeated.
It is noticable that Matthew uses the noun "soldiers" only in verse 27. He avoids using the word in verse 26. Then from verse 27 to verse 37, there is just the pronoun "they". The whole passage from mockery to crucifixion is seamless.
Jesus was scourged in 27,26 so, following 20,19, the mockery and crucifixion take place next.
My suggestion for this passage is that a mock coronation takes place in verses 27 to 31. Simon of Cyrene is then mentioned carrying the cross in verse 32. The crucifixion becomes a mock enthronement in verses 33 to 37. The climax in verse 37 is the notice above Jesus which reads "King of the Jews".
That leaves verses 38 to 44 which is bracketed by the reference to the two crucified brigands. Perhaps we can see them as being courtiers so that we have a mock scene of the king with his court in this sub unit.
With the mockery there will be a note of irony because of the deeper reality of this scene for those who have faith. Maybe (and I am being hesitant about this because it is easy to go too far), there is an indication of this is 26,54. Of that, more in due course.
We can now return to the main page to read verse by verse.
Mocked and Crucified: 27,27-37
It is notable that Jesus does nothing and says nothing throughout these verses. He is just being acted upon.
In verse 27, the soldiers take Jesus into the Praetorium and dress him up. The scarlet cloak would have been Roman army issue. The purple of Mark (Mk 15,17) is symbolic but unlikely due to the cost of purple dye (Acts 16,14).
Jesus is therefore given the objects of kingship: crown, cloak, reed (scepter) and a mocking acclamation. He is not however anointed, that was done in 26,7.
As for the governor (27,11) so for his soldiers, "King of the Jews" is the title they understood, as will be seen with the cross a little later (27,37).
In verse 31, after dressing Jesus in his own clothes, he is led off to be crucified. As I have noted, there is no break in the story at this point.
Simon of Cyrene reads therefore like an insertion, an important part of Christian tradition for Matthew. There are echoes of Jesus' command for his disciples to take up the cross and follow him (16,24). Mark adds some family details (15,21) whilst John for his own reasons says that Jesus carried his own cross (Jn 19,17).
All the Gospels agree on Golgotha, the place of the skull.
More allusions to the psalms then follow. The drink refers to Ps 69,12 and the casting of lots for the garments recalls Ps 22,19.
Verse 35 is introduced with a factual "when they had crucified him", "When" being added by Matthew. There are no details and no reaction from Jesus (as I noted above). The smooth flow of the story continues because Matthew has also left out the time given in Mk 15,25.
Matthew then notes the watching in verse 36; its significance will come later.
The inscription over his head ("head" being added by Matthew) in verse 37 goes further than Mark or Luke by adding the name "Jesus" to "King of the Jews". That makes it more personal. John goes even further (Jn 19.19-20) and so puts more stress on the enthronement. For Matthew especially this notice is presented as a climax.
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Two Brigands: 27,38-44
The Greek word for the brigands basically means a robber. So, robber, bandit, brigand are all possible. "Revolutionaries" as in the NAB is I think going too far with its political overtones.
All four Gospels say that the two brigands were crucified on either side of Jesus. This detail must have been clearly fixed in Christian tradition very early on.
The mockery of this parody of a king's court begins with the passers-by in verses 39-40 followed by the chiefs and elders once again in verses 41-43.
In both parts, Jesus is called Son of God. In both parts, Jesus is mocked for not saving himself. Being Son of God is though more about having trust in his Father and being obedient to him, as in Gethsemane (26,30). This theme of being Son has been present throughout the Gospel form the announcement of his birth (1,21), to his baptism (4,17) and transfiguration (17,5). After the secular title "King" used by the Romans, here it is being used by Jews and prepares for the acclamation after Jesus dies (27,54).
The passers-by recall Ps 22,7, "all who see me, mock me". They also recall the accustion at the trial concerning the destruction and rebuilding of the Temple (26,61).
"If you are the Son of God" in verse 40 recalls Satan at the testing, 4,3.5. There too was the tempation to misuse power.
The mocking becomes more specific in verse 41 as Jesus' familiar accusers arrive, the chief priests and elders with scribes as well. As throughout the passion story, Pharisees are not mentioned.
King of Israel in verse 42 is a much more traditional title than King of the Jews. It is linked to the Lord by the prophet Zephaniah (Zep 3,15).
Finally the brigands themselves mock Jesus. Here Matthew has made Mark's "they" specific.
In all of this, Jesus says not one word.
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