Living in the Spirit
November 24, 2018
Scripture Reading: John 18:33-37
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.’
What does Jesus mean when he says, If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews? Is he saying that no human entity owns God, not even a chosen people? Jesus was born a Jew, but here he refers to Jews as something of which he sees as a perhaps sect? The language is most likely referring to the Jewish leaders who turned Jesus over to Pilate, but it seems to describe Jesus’ reference point as something greater than any formal religion or tribalism.
We live in a dangerous world. Scary because of all the senseless shootings and other violence. Scary because of the hate venom being spewed out regarding everything from race to sexuality to disabilities. Scary because we are developing into a me-first society. Dangerous because we do not seem as a society to care. My cynical hope is that we will eventually get so sick of our behavior and ennui-an emptiness of spirit, we will return to caring or learn to care and change our way of being.
When violence, bigotry, and hate are being done in the name of God, we have reached the deepest depths of sin. Jesus facing execution is an excellent example of such behavior. When a non-believing Roman leader senses the irony of the situation brought before him, we reach the full potential of our separation from God. Praise be to God, truth did not end with that encounter or with the stark reality of the cross. Truth revealed its eternal nature in Christ’s resurrection which established the tasks set before followers of Christ. We are called to be the conduit of creating a world ruled by love. It starts with each of us as individuals and grows one loving relationship at a time until the whole world knows God’s love.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us for our emptiness of spirit. Restore us to wholeness that we might serve you more nearly. Amen.