Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 22:63-64 (New Living Translation)

63 The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?”

This is part of the (hi)story of the crucifixion of Jesus. This incident of mocking Jesus tells us much about prophets and prophesying and what a few soldiers believed.

They blocked Jesus’ vision with a rag. Jesus couldn’t “see” with his natural physical sense of sight. “Tell us who hit you?” they said. In other words, “You are a prophet. You can see things beyond physical eyesight. Well, do it.”

That is the definition of a prophet: a person who could see beyond what the natural eyesight allowed. A person who received news directly from God and relayed that to everyone else.

Notice, these Roman guards knew the definitions of prophets and prophesying. This was common knowledge among common folks. These guards were religious men in that they understood and believed in things that were supernatural or beyond the laws of nature.

The Roman guards, however, believed in the wrong gods. Easy for me to write that. I don’t know anything about these men other than these few sentences. Perhaps … well, perhaps all sorts of things that I don’t know.

I see folks all around me who don’t believe in any gods. Well, at least it seems that way to me. I don’t know anything about these folks. Well, now I know where to begin the conversation. Please God, help me to begin humbly.