arrestatie 6

The procession again started forward... 

Jesus being ill-treated as before... 

and crossed a height up to the gates of Ophel. 

Here it was received by the heartrend­ing cries and lamentations of the inhabitants... 

who were bound to Jesus by a debt of gratitude. 

Only with great difficulty could the soldiers keep back the crowds of men and women pressing from all sides. They rushed forward wringing their hands, falling on their knees and, with outstretched arms, crying aloud: "Release unto us this Man! Who will help us? Who will heal us? Who will console us? Release unto us this Man!" 

-

It was a heartrending spectacle.

Jesus pale, bruised, and disfigured, His hair torn, His robe wet and soiled, tucked up into His girdle, He Himself dragged with ropes, urged on with blows, like a poor, fainting animal driven to sacrifice by insolent, half-naked executioners and overbearing soldiers. 

The latter were busy keeping off the crowd of lamenting and grateful people, who were making their way to see Jesus, who were stretching out to Him hands that He had cured of lameness, who were crying after Him in supplicat­ing tones with tongues that He had loosened from dumbness, who were gazing after Him with eyes to which He had restored vision and which were now streaming with tears.

Already in the Vale of Cedron... 

numbers of filthy, ragged creatures from the lowest classes, excited by the soldiers and urged on by the followers of Annas, Caiaphas, and other enemies of Jesus, joined the procession with cries of mockery and derision. These newcomers now added their share of jeers and insults against the good people of Ophel. 

Ophel was built on a hill, for I saw in the center of it the high­est point. 

It was an open place, and on it were all kinds of beams and rafters [balken en spanten] for building... 

like piles of wood in a carpenter yard. 

-

The procession now reached another gate in the wall... 

through which it would go somewhat downward.

The people were prevented from following it beyond the city limits. 

The road now led somewhat into a val­ley. 

On the right stood a large building, I think the remains of Solomon's works... 

and to the left lay the Pool of Bethsaida. 

After passing these... 

they kept on in a westerly direction down a steep street called Millo and then, turning a little to the south, they ascended a flight of high steps to the Mount of Sion upon which was the house of Annas. 

Along the way Our Lord was abused and reviled, while the rabble that kept pour­ing from the city incited His vile custodians to mul­tiplied cruelties. From the Mount of Olives to this point, Jesus fell to the ground seven times.

-

The inhabitants of Ophel were still full of terror and distress... 

when a new scene excited their com­passion. 

The Blessed Mother was, by the holy women and their friends, led through Ophel from the Vale of Cedron to the house of Mary Marcus, which stood at the foot of Mount Sion. 

When the good people recognized her, their compassion was aroused and they sent up a wail of anguish. So great a crowd pressed around Mary and her companions, that the Mother of Jesus was almost carried in their arms.

Mary was speechless with grief. 

She did not open her lips, after she reached the house of Mary Mar­cus, until the arrival of John. 

Then she began to ask questions and to give vent to her grief. 

John related to her everything that he had seen happen to Jesus, from the moment that they left the Coenaculum up to the present. 

-

A little later she was conducted to Martha's house... 

near that of Lazarus, at the west side of the city. 

They led her along unfrequented routes, in order to shun those by which Jesus was being dragged. 

And thus spare her the anguish of a meeting with Him.

Peter and John... 

who were following the procession at some distance... 

ran hurriedly, when it entered the city, to some of the good acquaintances whom John had among the servants of the High Priests, to find in some way an opportunity of entering the judg­ment hall into which their Master would soon be brought. 

These acquaintances of John were messen­gers attached to the court. They had now to scour [doorzoeken] the whole town in order to awaken the ancients of different ranks and many other personages, and call them to the Council. 

They desired very much to please the two Apostles, but could think of no other means of doing so than by supplying them with mantles such as they themselves wore, and letting them assist in calling the members of the Council. 

Then, under cover of the mantle, they might enter with them into the judgment hall of Caiaphas, from which all were to be excluded but the bribed rabble, the soldiers, and false witnesses. 

Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and other well-disposed individuals belonged to the Council, so that the Apostles were able to deliver the summons [dagvaarding] to their Master's friends, the only ones whom the Pharisees had perhaps designedly [opzettelijk] omit­ted from the list of the invited. 

Judas meanwhile, the devil at his side... 

like a frantic malefactor was wandering around the steep, wild precipices... 

south of Jerusalem, where all the filth of the city was thrown.

[emmerich]