“A mob,” James Baldwin wrote, “is not autonomous: it executes the real will of the people who rule the state. The slaughter in Birmingham, Alabama, for example, was not merely the action of a mob.” (Baldwin, Dark Days) The crowds in Matthew choose their champion because Pilate demands victory. Pilate, in turn, wants what the people want because, like his wife, he grasps desperately for what Caesar has to offer. In the end, everyone wants what Caesar wants: the Lord’s execution. So Baldwin was right: the mob carries out the will of the state. In Matthew, the will of the state is expressed in the person of Pilate, who executes the Lord to secure Caesar’s place on the seat of Elohim. Dumb move, Caesar. Really dumb. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 27:19-23. Episode 412 Matthew 27:19-23; Music: Crowd Hammer by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4983-crowd-hammer License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license