Pilate the Politician: A Political Meditation for the Season

The Story of Pilate provides an opportunity to reflect on power and politics in Jesus’ time and in our own lives.

Rome is the occupying authority of Jerusalem, Pilate, the Roman governor. He is indeed the top politician in Jerusalem.

The high priests and elders, politicians in their own religious bailiwick, have held their court, and they bring the defendant Jesus to Pilate who as civil authority has the power to mete out punishment.

Pilate is not a rubber stamp for the priests – Instead, he uses his position to question Jesus:

“Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus responds simply “you have said so.”

The priests and elders make their accusations against Jesus, but Jesus remains silent. He does not defend himself,

What kind of man is this? What kind of power does he have?

Pilate questions Jesus a second time: You hear how many things they say against you; what do you say?

But Jesus gives no answer.

Pilate, the gospel tells us, knows that the priests are envious of Jesus. The priests – and Pilate - understand the power that comes with their positions. But Jesus has a different kind of power, the power that emanates from his very person.

In the face of Jesus’ silence and lack of defense, Pilate, we are told, “Wondered greatly.”

Jesus’ refusal to play the power games makes Pilate pause and listen.

Pilate is perceptive: He understands power and he understands politics; he understands the priests’ and elders’ motives: they want to get rid of this troublemaker who threatens their authority.

Pilate is also traditional: he adheres to the Passover custom of releasing a prisoner to the Jews. So he asks the crowd –

Who do you want released -- Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?

Then a remarkable interlude occurs: As the people talk, Pilate is interrupted by a message sent by his wife.

She has had a dream that has disturbed her, and she warns her husband against harming Jesus, whom she calls “this righteous man.”

Pilate allied himself with a woman who pays attention to her dreams, to her intuitions. The message to Pilate can also be seen as a message from Pilate’s own intuition about Christ’s innocence. At the very least, the message reinforces Pilate’s reluctance to harm Jesus.

Pilate thinks, he perceives the motives of others, and he intuits what is going on.

And yet . . . and yet . . . he ultimately will give in to the mob.

Returning to the crowd, Pilate continues:

Which of the two do you want me to release?

And the crowd, which has been instructed by their leaders, the priests and elders,

This crowd says “Release Barabbas.”

Pilate still struggles with his own instincts as he asks again the fatal question:

Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ.

The mob shouts: Let him be crucified.

Yet Pilate is still not ready to give in: “Why, what evil has he done?” he questions.

Let him be crucified.

The polls are in – the crowd wants death for Jesus. Despite Pilate’s wonder at Jesus’ person, his understanding of the envy of the priests and the manipulation of the crowd, despite his intuition that Jesus has done nothing wrong, Pilate gives in.

Just like that.

The gospel says “He saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather than a riot was beginning.

Even though Pilot may be afraid he has other options. He has an army at his disposal. He could use military power to quell the riot. But he does not.

Instead, he takes water and washes his hands.

He says to the crowd “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”

Pilate thinks he is absolving himself by doing the crowd’s will.
He knows the score but he is unwilling to stand up to the crowd OR take responsibility for what he does.

The priests and the crowd need Pilate to do their will, and Pilate thinks he needs them.

Finally, there is a chilling conclusion to the story of Pilate. Not only does he give in to the crowd but once he has agreed to have Jesus crucified, he must go the whole way: scourging Jesus before delivering him to be crucified, torturing him: Jesus is beaten, probably whipped with belts and metal balls as was the practice prior to crucifixion. Jesus suffers torture so violent that muscles and sinew are torn and the flesh is bleeding, and he is losing consciousness even before he attempts to carry the cross to Golgotha.

The Bible does not tell us, but Pilate has probably left the scene: he has washed his hands; he does not want to see the consequences of his decision.

This is a story about power – the power of God that Jesus has demonstrated throughout his short life to heal and teach and love, the power that does not need to boast or defend itself against its enemies, even in the face of death.

And it is the story of the other faces of power – the priests and elders’ envy of Jesus’ power. And the power of Pilate, the politician, who had a choice to use his power for good or for evil.

But the Church and the State are not the only forms of power.

Like Pilate, we too have been given many forms of human power. As Americans we enjoy a degree of prosperity and well being beyond most of our fellow creatures on this planet. As people of faith, we know what is right and wrong. We exercise a great deal of personal and collective power.

The question remains: how do we use our power – within our families, our relationships, within our places of worship, the workplace, our schools and other organizations? How do we use our power as citizens of our community, the nation and the world?

Do we like Pilate give in to the easier way and wash our hands of the pain we see, the pain we inflict.?

How do we use our human ability to perceive, to think, and to feel? Do we seek to follow Christ’s example to heal, to love, to serve others?

May we learn from Pilate to strive toward using our power in the service of God, the Christ of our better nature and to pray for forgiveness when we, like Pilate, fail. Sphere: Related Content

REPUBLICAN SURVEY

Oddly enough, I received a fundraising letter from the Republican Party, a "2009 Congressional District Census." I live in the 5th Congressional District of Virginia and have voted Democratic for my entire life.

Here are some of the laughable questions or omissions from the survey:

• Query re my Media sources for political news includes Fox and major networks but not PBS or NPR (which I wrote in)
• Question as to which political party is best able to handle each of the following issues has the usual list plus "Protecting Traditional Values" to which I responded "Oh, please, what does this mean? Anti-gay?"
• "Do you feel that the huge trillion dollar solutions the Democrats have advanced to boost our economy will help or hurt or nation in the long run?" Answer: What is your solution? Do nothing?
• "Would you like Congress to pass additional tax cuts to further stimulate our nation's economy?" Answer: the Bush tax cut re-started the deficit after the Clinton Administration had eliminated it.
• "Do you think all Americans should be required to have some fort of health insurance even if it requires the federal government to underwrite the costs?" Answer: erroneous question as it mis-states proposed sliding scale subsidy for people of lower incomes.
• "Using numbers 1 through 5,, with 1 the top priority please indicate the policies you support most to address how the energy should meet future energy needs.

Numbers 0 and 1 are my answers.

0 increase drilling Alaska's ANWR

1 more funds for alternative fuels research

0 build new oil refineries in the U.S.

0 expand off shore drilling

1 greater investment in wind/solar energy

? tap previously unrecoverable oil

0 build new nuclear plants in U.S.

I added to "Other" category: support or increase tax credits for homeowner and commercial energy efficiency programs and weatherization, thus decreasing need for new fossil fuels.

Do you think the Democrat effort to restore the Fairness Doctrine that will destroy conservative talk radio is a violation of free speech? Answer: NO

Do you support oppose or have no opinion on the following social issues:

school prayer, ban burning of the flag, ban human cloning, faith based initiatives, ban all abortions, prohibit homosexual marriage.

Answer: What do you think ? Can't you see the ads now in the mid-term election in 2010?

I would be intersted in knowing if other Democrats received and returned this poll.

Sphere: Related Content

Great Endorsements for Deeds and Wagner

On Sunday, the Washington Post endorsed Creigh Deeds in a fulsome and well articulated editorial -- see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/17/AR2009101701477.html

Just an excerpt here:
"There are plenty of reasons why Mr. Deeds is the better choice for governor in the Nov. 3 election. He has stood with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the incumbent, and his predecessor, now-Sen. Mark R. Warner, in support of the sane fiscal and budgetary choices that have made the state one of the best-governed and most business-friendly in the nation. . . Mr. Deeds has compiled a moderate record on divisive social issues that reflects Virginia's status as a centrist swing state. Mr. McDonnell has staked out the intolerant terrain on his party's right wing, fighting a culture war that seized his imagination as a law student in the Reagan era.
But the central challenge facing Virginia and its next governor is the deficit in transportation funding projected at $100 billion over the next two decades -- and only Mr. Deeds offers hope for a solution. . . he would appoint a bipartisan commission to forge a consensus on transportation funding, with the full expectation that new taxes would be part of the mix. Mr. McDonnell, by contrast, proposes to pay for road improvements mainly by cannibalizing essential state services such as education, health and public safety -- a political non-starter. And rather than leveling with Virginians about the cost of his approach, as Mr. Deeds has done, Mr. McDonnell lacks the political spine to say what programs he would attempt to gut, or even reshape, in order to deal with transportation needs. "

On Monday, the Post also endorsed his running mate: Jody Wagner. The subhead of the editorial says it all: "In Virginia a problem solver is better than a pol."

You can read the whole editorial at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/18/AR2009101801993.html

The Post editorializes about Jody Wagner:

"Smart, tough-minded and capable, Ms. Wagner would be among the best-prepared public officials to assume the job. A former corporate lawyer, she started a successful family business (making kettle corn) before going to work for then-Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) [as State Treasurer]. Then, as Mr. Kaine's finance secretary -- she resigned this year to launch her campaign -- she developed an authoritative command of state government, spending and income, critical knowledge for the challenges posed by the recession. "

She would also be the first woman in 20 years to be elected to statewide office.

Pass it on. Sphere: Related Content