Have you ever been in a lose-lose situation? Have you ever been wedged between a rock and a hard place? Have you ever been torn between what is right and what others wanted you to do? What about having to make a decision that you know many, many people will not agree with?
Today’s scripture reveals Pilate in that kind of place. He doesn’t have to send Jesus to be crucified. He has an out. At the Feast of the Passover it is customary to release a prisoner, anyone the crowd wants released. Did he hope they would release Jesus instead of Barabbas? He looks at the crowd and sees leaders working the crowd. In those moments he knows this is not going to go well. Will he go with the will of the crowd or choose something different for Jesus? Mark writes, “Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.” The Message
What a vivid Biblical example of the power and consequences of one person’s decision. Swayed by the crowd, the politics and the overwhelming mood of the moment, he delivers the Son of God to his death.
God, when we are in a lose-lose situation, be with us; give us courage so that we might choose your will, even when it is difficult. Amen.
I hadn't thought about those verses being such a profound example of peer pressure but it certainly is! How sad when we let others tell us what to do - and how to think! I do pray for God's strength and courage so that I will never be afraid to do what I know is right!
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