Power Play

John 19:1-16

The deeper the hatred, the more the words and actions are turned to God’s purposes. The most telling part is this regard is verse 11, where Jesus tells Pilate his power is not his own.
Still bewildered by all this, Pilate apparently hopes that the flogging will make Jesus seem so pathetic as to be ludicrous as a king figure, and a threat to no one. But the taste of their obscene victory being at hand, the enemies of Jesus press on – to the point of an otherwise unthinkable outburst about having no king but Caesar - and Pilate’s stew of sympathy, superstition, and self-preservation leads him to hand Jesus over.

Prayer:
So many power-plays at work in the world, Lord, all so oblivious to the smallness of the plans at work in comparison to your grand pland and your working through it all: plots to wreak havoc here; individuals pulling strings here and there – kidding themselves that there is some motive of good behind it; sad young people plotting destruction because of cruel slights against them: it’s all about power in one way or another; rarely is it what it seems to be, whether ostensibly good or undisguisedly evil. Expose it all, Lord. Show your power; manifest your grace; exercise your judgment through your unfailing light that shows all for what it is. Through Your Son. Amen.