• Home
• Study Materials
• Sermon Outlines
• Assorted Topics
• Media
• Resources Links

The Word's Eye View is a newspaper column written by
Dr. James Modlish

The Trial of Eternity

The national debate concerning the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects continues. In the light of overwhelming public opinion, the Obama administration appears increasingly unsure what to do with the professed September 11th mastermind. Considering the enormous expense and security concerns of a New York federal court trial, the vast majority of Americans favor military justice. Attorney General Eric Holder and the White House have set forth the argument that a traditional criminal proceeding would showcase the American judicial system on an international stage. Question…why is that important, and will that kind of effort prevent further terrorism in any way, shape or form? One certainty is that a federal trial would provide KSM with a huge platform to espouse his hate and propaganda toward the United States. The administration has maintained that the closing of Guantanamo is essential because Al-Qaida uses its existence for a recruiting tool. It is difficult to imagine that the trial they propose would be to the contrary.

Several centuries ago a man was subjected to a military tribunal because of alleged crimes against humanity. The only lawyers he had access to were his accusers. His list of supposed violations of civil and religious law grew daily until he was considered by the political elite to be the most egregious villain of his day. His offences included, but were not limited to, influencing large numbers of people. He did not mastermind the death of 3000, but he did miraculously feed that many. He practiced medicine but never attended an accredited university, took any boards or received a license. He mastered every field with a 100% success rate. He never lost a patient, even though he was unaided by anesthesia, antiseptics, drugs, chemotherapy, and surgery. His fame spread as a dermatologist, orthopedic specialist, hematologist, pediatrician, neurologist, otolaryngologist, ophthalmologist, cardiologist, psychiatrist and postmortem resuscitative specialist. He also enjoyed perfect accomplishment in the field of plastic surgery, forensic medicine and preventative medicine. He never charged for his services or billed an insurance company or asked for a Medicare card. His anti-establishment approach generated a seething animosity by those who could not begin to imitate his achievements.

In a fit of righteous indignation he drove the money changers out of the Temple because they had prostituted the access to a sacrificial system that pointed to the ultimate sacrifice. Their preference for the status quo was based solely upon profiteering, and anyone who would attempt to upset the apple cart was the object of abhorrence. His ability to answer tough questions with profound simplicity frustrated the legal crowd. As their prestige shrunk in the light of his presence, they accused him of sedition and plotting against the government which they themselves hated. Hypocrisy begets strange bedfellows.

Perhaps he was most loathed by the religious potentates because of his failure to acknowledge all the rules of tradition. He healed the sick on the Sabbath; he looked upon the sinner with compassion rather than scorn and spent the bulk of his time with the blue collar element of society. He rebuked the priests and scribes for not knowing the Scriptures. Their ignorance put on public display created venom that is seldom outdone.

This man’s enemies finally held him in such contempt that their demands for his elimination were met with his arrest in the middle of the night. During the remaining hours of darkness he endured several trails that were hidden from the public. He was beaten beyond recognition, mocked, ridiculed and humiliated. No witnesses were allowed to speak in his behalf, but those who were bribed testified against him. When given an opportunity to speak, he did not proclaim any particular agenda but only indicated that presently his kingdom was not of this world. The judge struggled with the difficulty of discovery—nothing in this man’s resume seemed to deserve capital punishment; but there was the incessant voice of his enemies—crucify him, crucify him!

He was not water boarded, but when on the cross, his request for water was responded to with vinegar. He was numbered with the transgressors with an acknowledged thief on each side and yet he had the audacity of hope to tell the repentant one that he would encounter paradise.

Jesus suffered a military tribunal that presented no intention of fairness. The Father could have interceded at any moment but chose to allow his Son to endure it to the point where the words “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” were uttered.

President Obama has declared that America is not a Christian nation and so, I would suppose, deem no relevance from our story. But some of us would suggest—if a military tribunal was adequate for Jesus Christ, it would do for a real terrorist!