Jesus Christ v. Jesus Barrabas

 According to The Catholic Miscellany, which is a magazine from the Diocese of Charleston:

In the first volume of Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth, the pope emeritus notes that Origen, an early Church Father, maintained that many manuscripts of the Gospels identified Barabbas as “Jesus Barabbas” until the third century. Bar-Abbas means “son of the father,” and “son of the father” was a title attributed to messianic – or those presumed to be the messiah – figures. Pope Benedict XVI also observes that the Gospel of Matthew describes Barabbas as “a notorious prisoner.” He cites this as evidence that Barabbas held a prominent place in the resistance and argues that Barabbas was likely the leader of the uprising that had landed him in prison.

These points taken together, the pope asserts, suggest Barabbas was also a messianic figure. That is, like Jesus, some people believed Barabbas to be the promised and expected deliverer of the Jewish people. So, not only were Jesus and Barabbas charged with the same crime, they may have shared the same first name, and been assigned the same title. (Though Jesus of Nazareth is the only one to have claimed – accurately, we might add –  the title for himself.)

 After walking in the Way for many years, I realized that we are taught to be martyrs or to die for the other. Spouses are often taught to die for each other. We often hear to choose Christ rather than Barabbas. To turn the other cheek rather than to retaliate. 

At any rate, this is my opinion of Barabbas. I am entitled to express my opinions despite disagreements from my brothers in the community. I am surprised that Barabbas not only has the first name “Jesus,” but his surname is Aramaic, meaning “son of the Father.” Barabbas was a freedom fighter. He fought for the Israelites’ freedom from Roman oppression and stood against the injustices brought to his people. Fighting for freedom and justice is not a bad thing. On the other hand, Jesus is also a freedom fighter, but his way of fighting differs from Barabbas. Christ’s way freed us from death.

Depending on the situation, some have chosen Christ and some chose Barabbas. If a wife lives in an abusive environment where her husband consistently beats up on her, would she be advised to turn the other cheek and die for her husband? What if the husband beats up on the kids? Would not this be the time to choose Barabbas? By this, I mean that the wife should turn to the civil authorities to have her husband locked up in jail. Sometimes, it is necessary for couples to separate if there is a clear and evident danger. 

History has also shown the outcome of both situations. Martin Luther King Jr. chose Christ, and racial segregation fell. Mahatma Ghandi was not Christian, but he chose a path similar to Christ. A British soldier slapped Ghandi, and Ghandi did not retaliate but gave the soldier his other cheek. Consequently, Ghandi managed to get the British out of India. However, would this way work in defeating Adolf Hiltler and Nazi Germany? I highly doubt it. The Bible tells us that there is a time for everything (See Ecclesiastes 3:1-17). There is a time for peace and a time for war.

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. Independence Day is important to many Americans for it is the birthday of the United States of America. The American colonists in 1776 chose Barabbas’ way to bring about the birth of a nation. They fought against the injustices and tyranny of the British under the rule of King George III. Today, some would even argue that the American colonists were in the wrong for taking land from the Native Americans and claiming it their nation.

Nevertheless, it is worth noting that although the Jewish people at that time chose Barabbas over Christ, God the Father freed them both. As a Christian walking in the Way, it is always best to choose Christ because choosing Him means choosing mercy for those who are guilty of sins because in the end, we are all Barabbas. According to Catholic Moral Theology:

Ultimately, the moral of this story is not that we would have been better off to let Barabbas suffer and die.  As noted at the start, this is not about correctly identifying who is deserving of mercy and who is deserving of punishment.  Because, in choosing the Son of the true Father, we are choosing the one who has mercy in mind for all, including even those involved in murderous rebellions.  The great beauty of this scene with Jesus and Barabbas is that, while the earthly authority offers to release only one prisoner, our God offers to release them all.