When the people in the crowd showed up at the pearly gates later on, and St. Peter asked them about their participation in the cries to crucify the Messiah, what do you suppose they had to say for themselves? I'm sure there's a good amount of finger pointing going on, looking for someone to blame. They could look to the chief priests, and wonder why their religious leaders were so opposed to Jesus' work and ministry. But we're called to be accountable for our own decisions. Even if the madness of crowds is to blame.
It's so important that each of us know and understand Scripture for ourselves. Wouldn't it have been great if the crowds had turned to the chief priests and started asking questions when they went to stir up the crowd? I would've loved it if they'd started asking questions. We should find religious communities where we are free to ask questions. We should know Scripture well enough that we can tell when our leaders are leading us astray. If we disagree with a view a leader has, that doesn't mean we have to break faith or leave the community, but it does mean that we should know what they believe and why, and come to our own conclusions as to why they might feel that way. It's vitally important that we hold one another accountable and help each other keep from wandering away from the Truth.
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