They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Luke 23:34, Matthew 27:28-30
Question
What’s your most embarrassing moment? Not the one you tell others. The one you hope no one finds out?
Who have you seen metaphorically “stripped” bare? What was their circumstances?
What do you think we most common hide behind in our culture?
In this image, we have a cutting saw that is against the stripped limb it has just transformed. It points to the process being stripped bare without having to do an illustration about public nakedness. I don’t believe the point of this station is to commiserate on the exposed private parts of the King of Jews. In giving reverence to the One we love in His most undignified circumstance, we honor Him with something to cover His nakedness, if only a humbled loin cloth. It’s a completely logical response to a shameful situation. Because the shame of nakedness is felt deep in all of us.
Nakedness does not necessarily mean not having clothes on. Nakedness can mean the loss of whatever it is you cover yourself to protect your vulnerabilities. Your relationship status. Your bank account. Your make up. Your narratives. Your capacity. Your accomplishments. Your faith. Whatever it is your vulnerable self hides behind.
Jesus partook in not being able to hide.
Literally. And representationally to all of us.
Because every human life will be exposed to an undignified nakedness. Everyone eventually feels the shame in being stripped down to our bare selves. If you haven’t yet… just wait. It’ll come. Everything in the dark eventually comes into the Light.
And in that Light is a great compassion and empathy for what it’s like to not be able to hide anymore.
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, heal my shame, that I might live a renewed life.