It Was Early In The Morning

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. — John 18:28

It is easy to pass over the above passage when reading about the trial of Jesus. Later when Pilate tells the accusers to take Jesus and “judge him according to your law.” They tell Pilate “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” Wow, talk about the height of hypocrisy! First, the accusers won’t even go into Pilate’s headquarters because they might be defiled and miss a meal. Then when the law won’t allow them to do what they want, they pass the buck to Pilate.

First, there is the ultimate irony in that the pure Jesus is brought to Pilate, while the impure accusers stand outside Pilate’s courts to avoid defilement. Second, it is inside where Pilate learns the truth from Jesus’s lips, while outside the accusers lie and implore Pilate to do what they cannot.

This story continues now over two thousand years later. How often do we see people put on the cloak of purity, while they seek out others to do what they cannot do because it would put them in a bad light or violate basic beliefs of right and wrong. I bet you can point out many examples of this type of behavior, especially by those who profess to be the most pure.

In business, there is a basic rule that a boss should never ask an employee to do something the boss wouldn’t do his or herself. It’s not a bad rule for life.

This week as you meditate and pray ask yourself, do you identify with either the accusers or Pilate. If its the accusers reconsider what you ask others to do. If its Pilate consider having the strength that Pilate didn’t have — the strength to say no. To say no and to follow our own beliefs and to not knuckle under to pressure brought by those whose agenda is hidden by a false cloak of purity.

And if you can see a little bit of yourself in both, as I certainly can, consider making those changes the story teaches us we should.

 

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About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.