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“From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, ‘If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.’
When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, ‘Here is your King!’ They cried out, ‘Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!’ Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.” –– John 19:12-16
Allegiance. Before Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessep) bellows that iconic retort, “You can’t handle the truth,” in the enduring courtroom drama, A Few Good Men, Kiefer Sutherland (Lt. Kendrick) is grilled on the witness stand from which he forcefully declares his loyalties –– “I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God.” Perhaps, but the underlying question, central to the plot, is which book and which authority take precedence? It may be far simpler to declare faith than it is for others to see that faith revealed in our character and actions.
When called upon, we reflexively stand and affirm –– “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord…” Yet, in life’s crucible moments, would such faith be evident to an observer? Granted, our knees are seldom as strong as we’d wish, and self-interest clouds even our best efforts at faithfulness, but ultimately, who and what we serve can be detected when headwinds blow, when loyalties are challenged, when opportunity seduces, or even when compliments come in bunches.
Knowing the inevitability of the grueling passage before him, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane’s garden –– “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Likewise, facing the arduous journey to Jerusalem, the Psalmist sang, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Yet, when weighing the power of the state against the sovereignty of God, the chief priests, the top religious officials in the land, declared, “We have no king but the emperor.” I suppose they had forgotten how David prayed, “Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.” The personal agenda of maintaining their privilege within the status quo deafened them to the Word of God made flesh in Jesus.
Of course, it is easier to condemn the chief priests from a safe distance than it is to recognize their duplicity in our own lives. Thankfully, the mercy of Christ is greater than our iniquity. However, we live in a time when it seems common to hear voices boldly justify injustice in the name of Jesus. People suffer as the pawns of political expediency. Similarly, we pursue personal advantage without considering the price paid, wound borne, or inconvenience endured by others. We must ask, What kind of love is this? For, as we read in 1 John 3:16-18 –– “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” At the end of the day, it is important to ask whose agenda we have served. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…
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