What is Truth?
As I read the Gospel this morning, Christ’s Passion in the Gospel according to John (Jn 18:1—19:42), I tried to look for any words or phrases I had never noticed before. Having read it so many times previously, I discovered I recognized it all.
Yet, at the same time, I gained a new insight and perspective on Pilate.
Pilate’s back-and-forth attitude toward Jesus always seemed inconsistent to me. But today I read in him a possible interpretation that makes sense to me.
I suspect Pilate held the Jewish leaders in great contempt. The Jews were not pagans and held themselves up as a chosen people, which I imagine grated on Pilate’s own pagan sensibilities.
When the Jewish leaders brought Jesus to him, he probably was annoyed at the leaders for dragging him into their own internal concerns. After a cursory examination, he found no guilt in Jesus and wanted to simply rid himself of the problem.
Sensing an opportunity to “egg on” the Jewish leaders, he says to them, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”*
The Roman soldiers enjoyed this torment not just of Jesus, but of the Jewish leaders as well, exclaiming, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Pilate continues to provoke the Jewish leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him”.
The Jewish leaders up the ante now, replying, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” The title “Son of God” was used by Caesar, so the Jewish leaders were asserting Jesus to be a revolutionary.
The Gospel says Pilate was afraid, but perhaps he now senses an opportunity to get the Jewish leaders to deny their own faith and pledge allegiance to Caesar.
Pilate asks, “Shall I crucify your king?” He continues to refer to Jesus as “king” even though the Jewish leaders have denied it. Now, the Jewish chief priests answer, “We have no king, but Caesar.”
Pilate must have really enjoyed this moment. He actually got the Jewish leaders to pledge loyalty not to their God, not to their law and prophets, but to Caesar. The hypocrisy of these Jewish leaders was on a very public display.
Pilate continued to rub it in, when he had the inscription written over the crucified Jesus: “The king of the Jews”. When the Jewish leaders protested, Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
It would seem the Jewish leaders got what they wanted—to have Jesus killed. Pilate got what he wanted—a public pledge to Roman authority. The transaction also cost them each something spiritually.
Pilate and the Jewish leaders knew Jesus was innocent, but they were willing to use him as a tool in their petty political squabble.
Of course, Jesus got the “last laugh” in this one. He was Resurrected and his Kingdom still stands.
This brings me to ponder some questions. How often do we try to use Jesus for our own ends? How often do we see him as a tool to assert our own earthly political agenda?
Pilate was not swayed by the false piety of the religious leaders. On the contrary, his pagan heart was hardened with contempt.
When Christians live a life of false piety rather than one of truly striving to love God and love neighbor, our own hypocrisy feeds contempt in the pagans around us. Does this not crucify our Lord all the more?
I know I have been guilty of this, and is all the more reason why I need a Savior.
It seems to me that the story of Good Friday calls us all the more to a purity of intention. Pilate asked Jesus, “what is truth?”
Jesus said he himself is the way and the truth. When we seek him with purity of intention, we discover truth and we discover the way of receiving and sharing pure love.
GARY THOME
Gary Thome is a husband, father of five children, and a lifelong Catholic living in northwest Houston. After a successful 32-year career building several billion-dollar technology businesses, Gary left his corporate VP role to found LOVING STONES. He also has served for eight years on the board of directors for the Christian nonprofit, Heartbeat International, providing expertise in strategy, technology, marketing, and finance. He is active in his parish, Prince of Peace Catholic Community, where he has served and led numerous ministries. Photographed with Gary is his wife, Pam, who also is a LOVING STONES of CHRIST Team member.
Favorite Scripture: "Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart’s desire." (Ps 37:4)