which kingdom, which truth

Usually we hear this passage as part of the series of readings on Good Friday. The arrest, the trial before the religious leaders then this trial before Pilate, condemnation, humiliation, crucifixion, burial. We hear it as one long story.

Here we have just 13 verses.

13 verses that tell as a lot about Jesus, and we also learn about some of the other characters in this part of the story.

Last Sunday we heard about the arrest in the garden, the trial before Annas and the denial of Peter. We thought about where we, like Peter, say “I am not one of that man’s followers.”

This week, I wonder which person you most identify with?

Caiaphas: wanting this man gone, but without the authority to do away with him. He needed to stay on the right side of the Roman authorities.

I wonder in what ways we compromise ourselves to stay on good terms with someone in power?

Pilate: the most powerful person in the region. Pilate has been appointed governor by Rome. He was known as being ruthless and brutal. He lived, not in Jerusalem but in a Roman enclave on the coast of the Mediterranean. He is likely in Jerusalem because of the Passover, he will be there with soldiers to keep ‘the peace’.[i] He doesn’t want any trouble on his watch, which means we see him give into the religious leaders, even though he sees no reason to condemn Jesus.

I wonder how we use the power we have? Do we take risks, challenge injustice or play it safe?

Then there is the crowd. I don’t know what to make of them, maybe some genuinely believed that Jesus was a criminal; but I wonder what happens when we are in a group, and you don’t want to stand out, so you do not speak up.

I have noticed in this Parish, that at times people will make a comment to me privately, but not speak in a meeting where a decision is being made. I wonder why people are unwilling to speak up in this place?

and we come to Jesus: a man who seems not to be able to answer a question with a simple answer, even to save his own neck.

But what do we hear Jesus saying? Jesus challenges Pilate in response to each question.

Pilate asks: “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answers: “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

Are the questions we ask, and the criticisms we make, our own, or are we speaking someone else’s words?

There are so many opinions available, in newspapers, on TV and on-line, as well as family and friends; do we just take an opinion and make it our own, or do we do the hard work of checking and thinking for our self. It is often easier to go along with the group; to align ourselves with a group or political party or social commentator.

Then Jesus seems to ignore Pilate’s next comment, and says, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom doesn’t belong to this world.”

The kingdom of Caesar or the Kingdom of God;
a kingdom based on fear or a kingdom based on grace;
a kingdom based on violence or a kingdom based on love;
a kingdom that values strength or a kingdom that embraces our weaknesses.

Which kingdom will you choose?

Pilate replied. “So you are a king,”

Jesus told him “You are saying that I am a king,”. “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.”

everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice,
where have we heard that before? this phrase reminds of John chapter 10, Jesus says: “I know my sheep, and they know me.” [John 10:14 CEV]

“My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me, and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost.” [John 10:27-28a CEV]

Jesus said: I have come to:

to testify to the truth NIV and NRSV,
to bear witness to the truth RSV
to tell about the truth CEV
so that I could witness to the truth MSG

notice isn’t to give you the truth, or to tell you the truth, but to tell you about, to witness to the truth.

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

We don’t hear the answer Jesus gave to this question; or if he gave an answer.

What might Jesus be talking about?

The people we have met in the readings last week and this all seem to have something holding them back:

Peter: violence in the garden, fear in the courtyard
Caiaphas and the religious leaders: backroom deals and false testimony
Pilate: anything to keep the peace
the crowd: fear at standing out as being different

Jesus is the one who is consistently authentic.
Jesus is the one who is aware of the reality of his life,
the reason for his life
Jesus is the one who has lived true to his own values:
    grace and love and forgiveness and healing.

“Jesus’ truth -- his testimony and his person -- is an expression of the divine love he embodies and comes to reveal. This truth brings comfort (John 14:1-7), freedom (8:31-32), and joy (15:11). … God’s truth is from above and offers a peace “not as the world gives.” It calls the one being freed to a new perspective and new life -- abundant but also transformed.” ^[ii]

But when we base our lives on the values of the kingdom of the world, on power, fear and violence, then the truth of God’s transforming love is a threat.[iii]

Last week we thought about where we, like Peter, say “I am not one of that man’s followers.”

This week, I wonder which kingdom we choose, not in a one off decision, but in the myriad decisions we make each day.

Is it the kingdom of truth and grace,
of love and forgiveness,
the kingdom that embraces us as we are
and transforms our lives?

Or do we allow the crowd to sway us, to close our ears and hearts to God’s voice?

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[i] https://www.workingpreacher.org/popoutplayer.aspx?podcast_id=990

[ii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3407

[iii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3407