Our Venerable Father Leo, Bishop of Catania
Read
Jude 11-25; Luke 23:1-34, 44-56
One of the first elements of today’s gospel Pilate’s conversation with Jesus. Pilate wants to know what substance there is to the accusation of trouble-making levelled by the chief priests against Jesus, so he asks him directly if he is the king of the Jews. Jesus’ answer is very significant: he says “you say” or “it is you who say this,” turning the accusation right back onto Pilate. Pilate was a Roman governor, whose main concern was always the stability of the Roman province he ruled. So when he asks if Jesus is a king, he’s effectively asking: “are you a threat to Roman power?” Jesus’ response requires Pilate to make up his own mind, to ask himself the question: “Is this man a king? And if he is a king, is he the type of king who is a threat to me and to what I represent?” Clearly, Barabbas the rebel and murdered was such a threat. But was Jesus?
Throughout history, governments and governors have been forced to answer this question – is Christianity a threat to the current social order? Certainly, since the current social order is the work of fallen humans, the gospel demands its transformation. But Pilate falls to see beyond this reality. He’s so fearful of losing power that he misses what Christ really wants. Jesus’ doesn’t demand the violent overthrow of the current social order (though he will change it!). What he does demand is that we overthrow the little kingdoms of our hearts, and make him King instead.