Pilate spoke to them a third time, “But what crime has he done?" Luke 23:22
Luke 23:1-7, 13-25, Matthew 27:11-26
Doing the right thing
I always felt sorry for Pilate. You just knew that he knew that Jesus wasn't the terrible traitor the masses deemed he was – his gut instinct was that Jesus was innocent – and his wife knew it too. Maybe I can empathise with Pilate. It seemed that he wanted to do the “right” thing and tried to sway public opinion and prevent an innocent man not only going to his death but being despised, rejected and tortured and then hung like a criminal.
Perhaps Pilate knew that this very fate could be his – if he refused to comply with the wishes of this very powerful group. Perhaps he knew all too well what a falling star looks like and the thought filled him with dread; the idea of ending up like this pitiful individual before him who dared to speak freely. Perhaps he knew it didn't matter who he was or how much power he seemed to have – it hangs by a thread.
Fear and compromise
What is it that we fear about going against the tide? What is so terrifying about being outnumbered, disempowered, drowned out, losing?
Why do we compromise everything, divorce from our hearts and inner voice, ignore the cry within in order to keep the status quo?
What could the consequences be if we don't?
Jesus said “Blessed are those who lose their lives for my sake”
Kath Muirhead