Self Service © 1997 Ginger Henry Geyer glazed porcelain with platinum 3” x 8 ¾” x 15 ¼”
On the cross, when Jesus said, “I thirst”, he was offered a sponge on a stick, saturated with sour wine. Was this an act of mockery or of compassion? The passage in John doesn’t really say. Was it vinegar, often used as an antiseptic? Or wine, to dull the pain? Either way, sour wine on a sponge doesn’t sound like a thirst-quencher. Perhaps the soldier who offered it was well-intended; perhaps he felt some satisfaction in doing the right thing. But it is possible that his act of charity was the last straw, for right after that, Jesus died. |
