The Roman guards joked among
themselves as they cast lots
for the robe of the crucfied
Christ
'It was all so strange, it seemed
as if the ground under my feet was
expanding and contracting in birth
pangs, and that the very heavens
were pressing down upon us-
I could feel and taste the atmosphere
and I felt my soul was being
refined like fire in the contest of
the ages-
I, Lucas Perillias, Roman guard,won
the robe we cast lots for-
I had no stomach for these Christians
and this man was the ring leader and
now sentenced to death by Pilate-
I squeezed this robe in my fingers as
I turned and glanced at this man Jesus
on the cross-
I was half laughing and mocking with the
other guards when out of some strange
curiosity I momentarily locked gaze
with this Jesus-
As with the hundreds we crucified before
I'd grown accustomed to the angry sneers of
our victums and the many who had spat hatred
down on us in their torturous dying-
But here was a look I had never expected-
He seemed to be looking directly at me and
for moments I couldn't understand the
expression-
I looked away quickly for fear of the other
guards thinking I could possibly have an interest
in this criminal-
But that look he was giving me..so strange..so deeply
had he gripped my soul with those penetrating eyes-
I saw no hatred as the others had shown..there was
nothing in his face but the purest compassion-
It was if he had been staring at me all the time in
all that agony and with all that blood-
I loosened the grip with which I clenched his robe and
I could not make myself turn away from the gaze of this
man-
Then the whole sky became dark and the earth shook and
everyone became frightened-
By this time the other guards knew I was somehow smitten
and even transformed by this man and they began mocking
me-
But I couldn't move..I was on my knees feeling all hatred
draining out of my soul..what was happening to me?
It was raining..and all the voices of mockery faded away
and there I was staring into the very face of love..and I
know now..into the face of the almighty himself who loved
me inspite of these Roman Nails~