Men despise the afflictions of Jesus whenever they disregard them, or treat them as of no importance. The saints embrace those afflictions, as does God, because they were the means by which the Savior died to save His loved ones.
But some go further then simply ignoring them, or treating them as a tragedy. Indeed, our society is full of a cynical mocking and derision of the afflictions of the helpless.
Thus, the mocking crimes against Jesus are repeated today, because they are a part of the broken character of sinful mankind.
This is the heart of the hard pragmatists and cruel cynics, who look on Jesus with scorn, because He should have known what would happen. He brought it all on Himself. What did Jesus think would happen?
We see this accusatory despising of the afflicted in our own time. Rather than blaming the oppressors, we tend to shift the blame off onto the victims. If only they had planned better, or kept their heads down, or left well enough alone, or not been so principled, or stood silent in the face of immorality and oppression, nothing bad would have happened to them.
This view despises the afflicted, because they should have acted in their own best interests, instead of standing out of the crowd for justice and ethics and right.
What do you expect the rulers and leaders and powerful to do when they are rightfully challenged? Savvy people know they will reach out to destroy anyone who challenges them, and therefore avoid doing so.
These are the people who smugly rejoice that they didn't make the same "mistakes" that the afflicted people made.
Thus, they will not stand with the afflicted, lest they be tainted themselves.
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
