Luke 23:13 - 25

 Luke 23:13 - 25

Oftentimes it is easy to make an alliance with evil. Would a person request the release of a known terrorist and murderer if it would secure for them positions of power and wealth? Absolutely. That is exactly what happened with the release of Barabbas.

Pilate, wanting a way out, hopes that in the tradition of a prisoner being released at Passover he can set Jesus free. Jesus is absolutely innocent and Pilate knows it. Pilate plans to juxtapose Jesus and Barabbas: a good guy versus a really bad guy, innocent versus guilty, a doer of good deeds versus a murderer. a sort of Mother Teresa versus Charles Manson contrast. “Who do you want running loose in your neighborhood?” Pilate hopes by picking the nastiest man in prison the Jewish rulers will, for the sake of public safety and common sense, ask to have Jesus released. But that will not be the case.  While Barabbas posed no threat to the rulers of the people Jesus did. Jesus’ power over the people was seen by the high Priestly delegation as a danger to their control of the Temple. Barabbas might attack Roman soldiers and waylay travelers but he would never call attention to the corruption of the temple sacrificial market.

Barabbas was bad, he was a terrorist and a murderer and a thief. Pilate was bad, rather than stand for the truth and do the right thing he tried to manipulate his way to a right conclusion. But the worst of the lot were the high priests. They were willing to use judicial murder and risk the lives and safety of the common people in order to hold on to power. What evil will be done to hold on to a position of control?  It would be wonderful if we could say this never happens in the church today.  It would be wonderful but it would also be false.  

“Lord, never allow my passion for may agenda to lead me to evil.  AMEN”