
As the soldier brought the whip down on the bare shoulders of Jesus, the dreamer shuddered when he saw the marks and the bloodstains it left behind. And when the soldier raised his hand to strike again, the dreamer rushed forward intending to stop him.
As he did so, the soldier turned around and the dreamer recognized...himself.
We often think now cruel those men must have been who scourged and crucified Jesus. But remember that whenever we do wrong, we, too, cause the heart of Jesus to bleed with sorrow and pain.
written Rev. E. E. Lark, page 30 in One Thousand Evangelistic Illustrations, edited by Webb, A. (1924). New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers