...He was resisting Roman rule, he was standing up and violently resisting the Roman government, a rebel against this occupying, corrupt government. Any common Jewish folk, while they know being disobedient was basically hopeless against this powerful tyranny, they also may have had admiration for any ballsy defiance. Our modern resistance believes using anything violent as being wrong. But in Jesus' day violence was perhaps a necessity as an organized war would have been the main way to stop the occupation. However it was also considered an impossible way, even if the entire country stood against them. It was the way to massive slaughter with little conscience by the Romans as it might be considered violently standing up to the Romans was like using sticks and stones against a powerful and brutal well armed army. .IMO this is why the crowd chose Barabbas as he would have been admired for his courage and outrageous resistance.
While I am for non-violence almost in any instance, I have heard the Nobel Prize winning Archbishop Tutu for his take on how effective was the use of non-violent resistance. He was criticized for supporting the Tutsi as they had used violent resistance. His response was that Apartheid was basically like trying to use nonviolent resistance against the Nazis. He said if that method had been used by the non-resisters they would have just been mowed down with no conscience by the Germans. He said why it worked in India was because the British had at least a little conscience about how being brutal would look to the world.
These common people had no idea who Jesus was, even his followers were not sure about who he was. They lived in a brutal world where lives could be lost with the flick of a ruler's hand. They had a lot of kooks who claimed to be chosen by God, their very Sanhedrin was in bed with the Romans, they were corrupt as well, they profited well from being being "the voice of Yahweh" in attempts to save their people from the slaughter that could have happened.
This president's rule and utter corrupt ways that he is part of, has pardoned people who were *not* like Barabbas. They are like the Roman thugs who raped, stole, and murdered these people and anyone they ruled. These Magat thugs have little or no love for us like the Romans and their own leader.
Just sayin;'
Cat in Seattle
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