The Mockery of the King and the Cosmic Darkness

Because of this, those killing him, not understanding what they were doing, instead performed a symbol: this robe, which is the red garment of Joshua in Jesus, and the one who 'stretched out his hand' being one of the sons of Judah from Tamar, signifies the lifting up of the Savior for the salvation of all, against the blood of the world and the people in it. But those being suffocated by 'cares, wealth, and pleasures,' having taken the word of God and not bringing it to completion, crown Jesus with thorns, insulting him; but he, having taken up our thorns, dissipates them with his own head. And they put a reed in his right hand, supposing it to be his kingship.

The Jews, playing at the Lord as if regarding the name of the prophet, were performing a child's game (Mt 27:28, 30), hence they were saying, 'Prophesy to us, Christ, who is he who struck you'; but the soldiers play at the name of the king; for this is why there is a red robe instead of purple, a crown of thorns instead of gold, a reed instead of a scepter, and the bowing as to a king and saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews.' Upon which was also the spitting and the striking with the reed, which was a practice for training soldiers and a folly of a foolish people playing a game, just as they have always been accustomed to unfolding the emn things, being suddenly fulfilled upon the Lord of the prophecy which says: 'I gave you a dream of a fool; I was made mute and did not open my mouth, because you are the one who made me' (Psalm 22:2).

And Phlegon, a philosopher among the Greeks, remembers this darkness as having happened paradoxically on the fourteenth of the moon (Mt 27:45), when no eclipse usually occurs, when the interval from the sun is far, as from the beginning of the heaven to the end; for eclipses happen when these two luminaries approach one another; for a solar eclipse happens by the moon running to meet it, not at the full moon, when it is at the diameter of the moon. This happened as the creation was mourning over what occurred, and therefore making it manifest, that because this opposition was done by the Jews, their mind was darkened and the intelligible sun departed from them. For perhaps they thought him to be the sun—for that darkness was raging and a sign of what the hybrids will take in the future; for this happens after all the acts of this opposition, when they received a reward from the mockers and did all they wished.

And this is also the beginning of the transfer of souls into the heavens. As many as follow Christ are transferred, as Stephen showed by saying, 'Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit' (Acts 7:59), and Paul, 'It is better to depart and be with Christ' (Phil 1:23). On the contrary, concerning the old things, it was said...