Skip to main content

"What is Truth?"


            What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:38)
            From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” (John 19:12)
            “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.
            They all answered, “Crucify him!”
            “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
            But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
            When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
           All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:22-25)
 

            Pilate is often portrayed as a villain in our Easter stories, and not without cause. He condemned Jesus to be crucified knowing that Jesus had done nothing to deserve it. Stop for a moment to consider things from his perspective. Jewish officials lead a mob of unknown size to Pilate to demand this crucifixion. Israel was crowded for the Passover, and known to be a troublesome nation. If word reached Rome that Pilate could not control these people, he would be banished to some miserable outpost, unemployed altogether or possibly killed. If the Jews reported that he had allowed someone claiming to be their king (AKA a rebel) to live, Pilate wouldn't be allowed to live. Truth was what Rome wanted to hear, even if that truth had nothing to do with reality. Truth was all about political power. Should Pilate of stood up to the mob? Yes. Should he have stood up for what he knew to be true? Yes. Should he have accepted the consequences of acting with honor? Yes. Should he have had his soldiers deal with the crowd seeking the death of Jesus? Yes.
           But... I have worked in places where one's job could depend on giving the "right" answer to questions that should not have been asked. I've worked in a place where we were told to lie to our customers and where "not entirely unethical" meant that it was OK. I have worked in a place where achieving statistics mattered more than doing good and appearance was more important than reality. You probably have, too. We live in a society that says you can believe whatever you want, as long as we either publically submit to (AKA agree with) said society or keep our mouths shut. We live in a society that says truth is whatever it says it is and the price for disagreeing could be the business we spent years building, our jobs, our freedom, our lives, for fortunes or our sacred honor. How much better than Pilate do we do?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On the Calendar
Good Friday

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more