Tuesday, March 4, 2014
John 18:28-38
It seems somewhat odd to me that this passage is read on the day before the beginning of the season we call Lent. Perhaps it serves to set the stage for our Lenten journey, by jumping directly to the end of that journey, and giving us a glimpse of Jesus' last hours - what we call his "Passion."
The encounter of Jesus with Pilate, the governor appointed by Rome to oversee Jews living in Israel, marks a stark moment in both their lives. Jesus, the non-violent Jewish reactionary (John Dominic Crossan's descriptive term) stands up to Pontius Pilate, the representative of Roman Imperialism, and in this brief encounter states with certainty that the kingdom, or realm that he represents - the kingdom or realm of God - is far greater than the power of the Empire of Rome, Many Christians understand this to be the true reason that Jesus was executed: because he spoke out against the powers of worldly authority - those powers whose victories were won by violent means - and subjugated those powers to the peaceful, non-violent realm of God.
Pilate's last words to Jesus in this brief encounter form a question, "What is truth?" As we begin our journey through the season which helps us prepare for the great celebration of Easter we might do well to ask ourselves the same question. And, even more, we might seek to find answers to that question, "What is truth?"
-Reverend Paul Kett
No comments:
Post a Comment