The first thing one notes in today's gospel lesson from Luke's account of what took place on "The Place of the Skull" is the backward and sideward glances at the Hebrew Scriptures - in particular the psalms of the abused, which feature the shaking of heads (Psalm 22:7), the drinking of sour wine (Psalm 69:21b), the mocking and reviling (Psalm 69:7ff), the criminals (Isaiah 53:12), and the casting of lots over the garments (Psalm 22:18).

Scholars have debated the authenticity of Jesus' prayer from the cross in verse 34a ("Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.") with inconclusive results. Some of the earliest and most geographically diverse manuscripts omit it. Yet, other ancient authorities include it. The NRSV compromises by enclosing the sentence in double bracke…