Luke 23:1–7 (ESV)
Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
Pilate’s actually a pretty good Roman bureaucrat, so he kicks this rabble out of his office.
Pilate is a high-level administrator; the authority to crucify was not common. Just because Rome practiced crucifixion doesn’t mean they took it lightly.
These peasants get him out of bed early to settle a religious argument—and it’s not even his religion. Like any high-level administrator, he’s irritated that he has to handle something that should have been handled at a lower level.
Pilate sizes up this situation as not worth his time, and displays his pique when he says, “I find no guilt in this man.” Make no mistake; this is designed to infuriate the council. They think He’s guilty as sin.
The next sentence is comedy gold. But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” Wow, the crime of stirring.
Then they let it slip that Jesus is from Galilee. Pilate sees an out and packs them off to Herod.
He wants no part of a kangaroo court. As brutal as Roman justice is, it’s organized and professional.
They council is being disrespectful of the system.
Always pray for your civil leaders, especially the ones you don’t agree with. Like Pilate, they’re confronted with things they’d rather not have to deal with.
Pray that God will grant them wisdom and patience. Ask the Lord to bless them and their families. Ask God to let them see the benefits of all their sacrifice and hard work.
Ask Him to give them peace as they’re forced to accept the crazy schedule that serious responsibility inevitably produces.
People often leave government service “to spend more time with their family.”
That’s not always just an excuse.
