Scripture Passage
Mattia Preti, Pilate Washing his Hands, 1663
Scripture Focus
“Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” (John 18:34 NLT)
Observation
Pilate was a wimp—a full-fledged, “see which way the wind is blowing” politician. And yes, I’m sure that my thoughts today are fueled by “election fever”—by all the brouhaha surrounding yesterday’s vote—but they’re really not political thoughts, they are personal, spiritual-development thoughts!
In John 18:33, Pilate has asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” It’s a fair enough question, I suppose, and not all that different from the question of the high priest written about yesterday: “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61 NLT) But the question comes from a different source—a source other than Pilate himself. The high priest’s question was his own, but Pilate’s question was prompted only by the political pressure placed on him by the Sanhedrin. “Be a man,” I want to say. “Ask your own questions and stop asking questions as someone else’s pawn!”
The same thing is true when Pilate offers the release of Jesus to the public in keeping with an annual Passover tradition. The Scriptures affirm that Pilate understood full well the evil motive of the Sanhedrin, but Pilate was clearly unwilling to act rightly on he knew to be true. Instead, he hoped to weasel his way out of a difficult situation by sly manipulation, convincing the crowd to ask for Jesus’ release so that he didn’t have to order it himself (something he didn’t have the nerve to do). Ultimately, of course, that plan failed when the crowd asked for Barabbas instead of Jesus.
In a last-gasp effort to relieve himself of any responsibility, Pilate “sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!’” (Matthew 27:24 NLT) Of course, the symbolic gesture of washing his hands accomplished nothing—Pilate remained fully culpable for his actions in spite of his obtuse machinations.
All that said, it’s easy enough to berate Pilate, but the point of this is personal—for me. “Be a man, Duncan,” I’m saying to myself today. “Step up to the plate. Ask your own questions, not somebody else’s. Do what’s right, not on what’s easiest. And deal with whatever consequences result like a man should.”
That may not seem all that spiritual to you. But the reality is, part of spiritual growth involves each person taking responsibility for his or her own spiritual life. There comes a point where you can’t blame the preacher, the church, your parents, your siblings, your kids, your spouse, your boss, your employees or anyone or anything else. There comes a point where the person ultimately responsible for your spiritual health turns out to be you. So man up. Yep—even if you’re a woman. On this one, “Man up!”
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