A four part series of Bible studies by Pastor Stephen.
See also:
Study 3: Claudia Procula (wife of Pontius Pilate)
The dream of Pilate's wife Engraving by Alphonse François [ca. 1879]
Introduction
It may seem difficult to base a whole Bible Study on Claudia’s part in the passion of Jesus, since it is limited to only one verse of Scripture – Matthew 27:19. While legend, Hollywood and other sources have speculated and expanded Claudia’s part in the story, we can only concentrate our thoughts on Scripture and the biblical record, informed by history.
Obviously there is not the scope to delve into the Gospels to the same extent as with some of the other studies, yet some interesting points and questions flow from this one verse and its relationship to the rest of Matthew’s narrative.
Who was Claudia?
- Claudia or “Procula” as she is more widely known in the history of the Church, was a woman of high social rank in Rome. She married “below her station” and went to the far flung and trouble-ridden Roman province of Judea, with her husband Pontius Pilatus, who is no “prize winner”, either as a man or a politician.
- She is a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition because of her advocacy for Jesus.
- Her one enigmatic and mysterious appearance in the Bible has sparked lots of fiction and fantasy about her.
- It is not known whether there is any truth in the popular legends in the Middle Ages that she knew more of Jesus’ teaching and ministry than what was revealed to her in her dream or known to her from the events of that Passover.
Matthew 27:19 … The Context
Jesus’ fate seems sealed at this point – the wheels of death are well in motion. The complex and perilous intensity of this Passover drama is at fever pitch. Every voice is screaming for Jesus’ blood.
It is important to understand Matthew and his concerns as a Gospel writer. He is Jewish and concerned for the Judaic, and is attentive to the details of Jewish spiritual and religious life. To him, the Roman presence in Jerusalem is a sacrilege, and he is acutely aware of the Jewish-Roman tension in the passion history. The Romans are pagan barbarians who have invaded and interfered in the life of God’s holy and chosen people.
For Matthew, these godless pagans are as far from God’s revealed word and truth as you can get. So his reporting of Claudia’s dream stands out somewhat. Here is a Roman who apparently is aware of Jesus.
Pilate is portrayed by Matthew as part of the Roman “machinery of oppression”. He is a ruthless politician who is only interested in keeping the peace enough to avoid open rebellion. In Matthew 27:24 he washes his hands, symbolically dissociating himself from Jesus’ death – a ploy to avoid responsibility, whereas he is, in effect, giving tacit permission for the will of the mob to be done. Whether this hand-washing action was primarily Pilate’s response to the crowd, or a response to Claudia’s warning is not clear.
Read Matthew 27:1-26:
- What common thread do you see between 27:4, 27:19 and 27:24?
- What theme is being developed here in this chapter by Matthew?
- Thinking about Matthew’s Jewish concerns, what is in view when he uses words like “innocent” and “blood”?
In his telling of the passion story Matthew wants to underline the “cultic” or sacrificial nature of Jesus’ passion – although he is absolutely innocent and has no guilt, yet he is condemned and killed as a guilty man. Conversely, those who declare themselves innocent and righteous and on the right side of the law are truly guilty of innocent blood-murder.
The Scene
Lets have a close look at Matthew 27:19.
- What do you think might be the significance of Pilate’s physical location when he receives Claudia’s message?
- Why was she sending a message instead of coming to speak with her husband?
Claudia’s comment about having “suffered” in “a dream” is very enigmatic. Various movie directors and writers have gone to town on this verse – with Claudia writhing in sympathetic agony as Jesus is tortured and killed.
Imagination, however, gives us far less reliable help in understanding this verse than does understanding the concerns of Matthew as a Gospel writer.
- Matthew is steeped in the Old Testament. What kind of dreams are described there?
- What kind of dream might Claudia’s have been?
- What message is given to Claudia in this dream?
- What do you see in this drawing (above) by Alphonse Francois?
Given that Matthew is deeply interested in the themes of blood-guilt and innocence, it seems highly likely that he records this dream to underline his larger point about Jesus’ innocence (see above).
Claudia’s dream revealed to her that Jesus was innocent of the charges laid against him, and she was greatly concerned that her husband would be participating in murder if he did not somehow dissociate himself from the mob’s desire to kill Jesus.
Reflection
Within the larger setting of this drama, as recorded by all the Gospel writers, it is interesting that, just as the women were frequently the only ones left to watch with and comfort Jesus in his passion and death and were among the few who understood something of the deeper nature of Jesus’ Kingdom, so we find here the ironic situation that the one and only advocate for the legally and morally innocent man, Jesus, is a woman and a foreigner, even an enemy.
- How might this cause us to reflect on the role of women in our world and in the church?
- What special gifts are brought by women to the cross of Jesus?
- What special gifts are brought by women to the church?