Tag Archives: way of righteousness

Pilate compromised justice because of a greater fear...

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to cause a human to compromise his beliefs.

I don’t know much about Pilate, particularly the private man, the real man. But in some ways, he seems a man with some sense of justice. And he certainly was a man capable of fear (John 19:8).

And yet he compromised justice and overcame some significant fears concerning Jesus’ identity because of a greater fear: being perceived as having the wrong friends.

“And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar” (John 19:12).

How important is it to me to have the “right” friends?

Whose friend am I ready to be?

And what kind of compromises would I make for that?

Let me never be as Pilate.

May I always stand for Jesus. And may I always stand with Jesus as a friend to those who, because of bigotry and bias, are despised by others.

As a father, this speaks to my heart right now:

“Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest…” (3 John 5).

You see, I read verse four first (no particular shock there, of course) and thought again along the lines of “Yes, I want to hear that my children walk in truth. Hear it from them. Hear it from others. See it for myself.”

But what about their Dad?

So verse five struck me.

My own living must be entirely marked by faithfulness — to God, to His Word, to His ways, to His plan, to His will.

That is more important than hearing anything about anyone else.