The actions of Pilate in today's reading are predictable. It's clear that he couldn't find anything that was deserving of crucifixion in Jesus. He really didn't want to have anything to do with Jesus' execution. Pilate's wife, didn't want her husband to have anything to do with Jesus. He tried to manipulate the crowd into releasing Jesus by offering the notorious criminal Barabbas to them. It backfired on Pilate. The crowd requested the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. So in the end, Pilate bowed to political pressure.
What choice did he have? He had a unruly mob that was about to riot. He certainly didn't want to deal with a rebellion. He could have used the Roman soldiers at his disposal to forcefully remove the crowd and put down a rebellion, but that would have placed him in precarious situation. Certainly there would have been more uprisings throughout the province after such a move. That would have gotten the attention of Rome which could mean possible scrutiny and removal from his post. It would have no doubt led to plenty of bloodshed. So what else could the governor do but give in to political pressure?
Pilate washes his hands of the whole matter. He's willing to sacrifice Jesus in order to maintain his position, power, control over the region. He even got the crowd to own responsibility for Jesus' death. Now that's a true politician in action.
Surrendering to political pressure isn't just a problem for politicians. It's a problem we all face. Throughout each day or at least each week we come up against falling to political pressure. In this day of political correctness, doing the right thing in every circumstance has become increasingly more difficult. It's downright tough to share the truth, live the truth without consequences. We face some of the same dilemmas that Pilate faced. So, too often, we sell Jesus out to keep the peace or to keep our place, position or even job.
Standing up for what's right and true often puts us at opposition to our peers, our employers, our community, our nation. Standing on the truth could even put us in opposition to our own church family or our immediate family. Now that's when it's really tough. But if we don't stand on God's truth, upon what do we find ourselves standing?
I know that going to the cross was God's plan for Jesus. I know that Pilate just played a role in that process, yet he still had a choice. He should have listened to his wife who told him in that famous Star Wars line, "I have a bad feeling about this." She was right. And now throughout history, Pilate will be forever known for giving up Jesus to be crucified. He will be forever known, not for his leadership, but for his surrender to political pressure.
God, standing up for truth seems to be getting harder these days. I need the boldness and wisdom to be able to speak your truth in love, to be like Jesus full of truth and grace.
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