Scriptural Stations Meditations - Third Station

Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin

We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes,
and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.
They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us,"
but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond.
But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated
at the right hand of the power of God."
They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied to them, "You say that I am."
Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony?
We have heard it from his own mouth." ~Luke 22: 66-71

We pray:

Lord Jesus, Your friends have all scattered in fear
and You now stand alone before the powers of this world.
In a mockery of justice that holds no hope for You,
the Sanhedrin poses questions, but You refuse to
“play the game” or plead Your case;
word games and compromises have no place in You.
The Truth will stand free, and if those who choose the lie will
distort it and ignore it and muffle it and pretend to destroy it,
yet Truth will triumph.
You are not concerned with winning this unwinnable argument;
Your only concern is Truth.
Without Truth, there is no justice.

Lord, we are weak and wounded, and prone to waver
in our generosity and our commitment.
Without Your wisdom, we often allow our fear or selfwardness
to distract us from standing up for what is right.
Or we become so zealous about one particular truth that
our efforts become exaggerated and even offensive to others.
Give us the courage to witness to the full truth, with love,
regardless of what it will cost us.
Give us the clarity to see that we are not responsible for
eradicating every evil, every distortion, and every injustice;
we are only required to speak the truth plainly, gently, with love.

May Your gentle humility and endless mercy guide
our every effort to bring Truth to others.