Jesus and Pilate

Sharing Example:

Ok, so this morning I want to start off with a short sharing exercise. I know we have a variety of people here from a number of different career and life paths. What I want to know is: What kinds of credentials, degrees, certifications, or classifications do you all have?

I’ll give you some time to think. But this is also an opportunity to WOW us — what do you know about that we don’t know about?

I’ll lead off.

Some of you know that I have a Doctorate Degree in Ministry.

But did you know that I was once a PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors Association) Level 2 certified instructor? Yeah.

Or perhaps you know that I’m a classically trained vocalist?

I speak broken Spanish.

I can play the guitar and trombone. I can pretend to play the piano, ukulele, and penny whistle.

I am an official member of the MxPx Fan Club.

I have completed 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.

And I can speak with authority about the powers and origin stories of many of Marvel’s X-men.

Cool huh?

Let’s take a minute and share a few things. What kind of credentials, degrees, certifications, or classifications do you all have?

What level certification do you have for driving a forklift, Aaron?

Mark, what’s your classification as a sky-diver?

Heather, what languages do you speak?

Faye, what community organizations do you belong to?

Why do I do this exercise? To highlight our oddities and eccentricities? Sure.

We do this because it shines the light on who we are. We don’t always get to see the world that our pew mates or church friends occupy. We don’t know about your careers, what you’re good at. In a sense, this is an audit of gifts and skills. But playful.

These certifications, classifications, honorifics, etc. — these are all distinctions that shape how we see the world and what rules we’re playing by.

That’s what I want to get to the heart of here, before we hear our passage: The interaction between Jesus and Pontius Pilate is one of the clearest moments in all the Gospels where the Kingdom of God interacts directly with the Empire of Rome. In Pilate’s questions of Jesus, we hear his worldview — You’re some kind of local King, huh? That’s what these people think you are. Are you? Because the only King I serve is Caesar, the Emperor and True Light. This is a moment of collision, it could blow up, and the tension of the moment is about the interaction and disagreement of multiple different worldviews and perspectivies.

Let’s look at Jesus’ meeting with Pontius Pilate, as told in the Gospel of John. Quick context — this is Holy Week material, Jesus has been taken captive by the police and sent, first, to the Temple Legal Council for questioning. He is then “sent up the chain of command” to Pilate, who is the regional Roman governor of Judea. Pilate is accountable to Rome, to Caesar. Let’s examine their interaction:

John 18:28–40 NRSV

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.

Who is Pilate?

When I think of the closing of this story, when Pilate says he has no case against Jesus, is this dramatic movement of wiping one’s hands clean of an event. Pilate’s saying — not my monkeys, not my circus.

You see, Pilate is playing a very different game than the Jewish religious leaders. Pilate isn’t there to settle regional leadership struggles amongst the subjugated people of Judea. Pilate is the Governor of this region and he is there for control. He’s there, in Jerusalem, during the Passover, to keep an eye on things.

He’s got credentials: He’s served the Emperor long enough to advance up the ranks. Now, Judea wasn’t the best assignment in all the Empire, it’s pretty far from Rome. But Pilate has power and position, authority has been given to him.

Think about your trainings, credentials, or classifications again: Don’t these set you apart as persons with specific skills. They say, “Seth’s authorized to do this.” Because I’m a Teaching Elder or Minister of Word and Sacrament, I am authorized to preside at the Communion Table by our Presbyterian denomination.

So Pilate has power, a power that is quite literally otherworldly to the way of Jesus and his followers, not to mention the Jews themselves. Pilate is playing a different game, by different rules.

I have to use a very sad example here to nail this point down: Haven’t we seen, especially in the last year or so, the revelation that there are elite, rich, and powerful people, mostly white men, who operate in the world by a completely different set of rules than the rest of us.

I don’t need to explain what’s been all over the headlines…but here’s the point: There are people in our world, in our country, probably even in our own city, who operate with a completely different set of authority, power, values, and freedom than you or I do. I’m not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, this is real stuff. And it’s stuff that’s as old as dirt: Powerful people choose to operate by their own standards and rules.

Pilate and Jesus are not working with the same operating instructions.

Are you the King of the Jews?

So Pilate has the authority and position that allow him to step back and look at this situation. He doesn’t have skin in the game, really. What matters to him is that the people don’t get out of hand, that they stay placated and calm. So sure, we can help you kill a criminal, I guess. You say that’s not in your playbook and you certainly know it’s in ours. Rome is good at killing and subjugating the masses.

So, are you the King of the Jews? From this ambivalent stance, Pilate can be curious. So, tell me, what’s the deal with this title?

Sovereignty, Nations, and Priestly Traditions

What’s at play here is this mix of power and authority structures. Who is in charge here? The priestly order? The people of Judea? Rome? Who has sovereignty?

And if Jesus is a King, then Pilate needs to make sure that this so-called King knows his place in the authority structure.

And Jesus, in a sense, doesn’t argue the point. He responds, claiming he is a king and he does have a kingdom, but that this kingdom is not of this world.

Jesus is saying — all your structures and politics and laws and borders and systems — my way, my kingdom, my kinship structure — it does not equate with Jesus’ kingdom.

Jesus is playing a different game.

What is Truth?

Pilate and Jesus have the famous exchange — Jesus explains that those who belong to his Kingdom know his truth and his way. The sheep know the master’s voice, to pull in other language Jesus uses elsewhere in his ministry. Jesus is there to testify to the truth, and those who know the truth can hear this.

Jesus operates with an expansive understanding of the inner workings of culture, politics, and human engagement. Jesus does not seem bound by Roman or Jewish politics and law.

Pilate retorts — What is truth?

I hear his question differently today than I usually do. Oftentimes, we hear Pilate’s question and think it’s an example of doubt or some philosophical posturing. But I hear it simply this way: Truth? What is Truth? Truth for you, perhaps. But not for me. So what is truth?

Pilate is unmasking how subjective our understandings of the world really are. Like, you might see things a certain way, but that doesn’t mean I do too!

And to his credit, Jesus is, in my opinion, also questioning the black and white authoritative nature of truth. You say it, so…?

Two Worlds, Two Truths?

Let’s go back for a moment to our exercise. Credentials, classifications, trainings, etc.

Is it possible, that through our backgrounds and education and social contexts, that we come to see the world from different perspectives?

I know it sounds simple and obvious. But do we really ever stop to consider this: You and I may truly see the world quite differently.

Now, it’s safe to assume in this context that we’ve got a number of things we do share and believe in common. We affirm our faith each time we gather, we generally follow the same pattern of worship together, even in our differences. I could make some blanket statements about our political alignment or education and social status, but even without explicating those realities, I think you get it. We share much, but it is quite common for communities of people to have differing perspectives and opinions. Obviously.

One Truth, One Kingdom

And here is the kicker of this text, the good news. The Way of Jesus is playing a different game than the ways of the world.

Another sad, but simple example: Our nation, along with Israel, is playing a different game than the nation of Iran and its allies. Different worldviews are colliding. And, again, in my humble opinion, the powerful are operating on their own plane of truth and conscience and priorities. What we are witnessing in this war in the middle east is yet again a collision of opposing worldviews. AND the Kingdom of God does not play with those rules. Christians are people of peace. War is a horrific, last resort. The way of Jesus is so other than the way of war.

Not of this world?

Let’s bring it home to us. Who do you serve? What kingdom do you belong to? What way are you following?

There are so many truths and power structures that vie for our allegiances. So many things in this world that would direct us, form us, structure our ways.

The interaction between Pilate and Jesus, for me, gets down to this very focused kernel of reality: The kingdom of God is something wholly other than the kingdoms of the world. We are about something very different, about being a people of peace and inclusion, justice and mercy. Grace. Forgiveness.

These are ways that are contrary to the ways of power and might. The kingdoms of the world do not operate with this script, this playbook. Maybe all of our credentials, trainings, etc. don’t have to divide us or set some up in places of authority over others. Rather, maybe these nuances can be what helps us be strong together, complimenting and offering our gifts in service of God’s kingdom, here and now.

So the question for us then becomes: Who will we follow? Who do we serve?

It’s St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday. And I’m sure many of you know that I love the Celtic stream of Christianity. The Celts, specifically Irish Celts, tell a story of resisting the powers of empire and Roman authority. They fought the Romans back. And in doing so, their spirituality has not taken on the power and authority structures so common in Roman dominated regions. Celtic spirituality is less colonialized, anti-empire.

I’ll close with some words from an old Celtic prayer, the Christ Canticle, which speaks of God’s otherworldly kingdom as it surrounds us and binds together as members of that kingdom.

Christ, as a light

illumine and guide me.

Christ, as a shield

overshadow me.

Christ under me;

Christ over me;

Christ beside me

on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me,

lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;

in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.

This day be within and without me,

lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light;

Christ as a shield;

Christ beside me

on my left and my right.