Lent Devotional - Day 38

Read John 18:28-40.

The very first verse of today’s passage reveals the ridiculousness of humanity and the dangers of the religious spirit. These men bring Jesus to Pilate with murder in their hearts, but they worry about ceremonial uncleanness.

This is the exact thing Jesus taught the Pharisees about, when they brought accusations against his disciples about eating without washing their hands. It is not what goes in a person that makes them unclean, but what comes out of a person, like our words and actions. They have become so religiously blinded that they cannot see that they are already unclean.

As followers of Jesus, we cannot simply be about looking out for ourselves, but show genuine love towards our neighbours, and especially those that believe in Jesus. When we have the power to show someone justice, we need to exercise that power. When we have the power to show someone mercy, we need to do so. That’s how we love others the way we would want to be treated.

We cannot escape the spiritual reality that how we judge others and how we treat others, is the way we are inviting God to treat us. We see that in the case of Jesus’ arrest, Pilate is more righteous in his judgement than all the Priests and Teachers of the Law combined. In this brief encounter with Jesus, he is left with a sense that Jesus is truly their king.

Do you understand that Jesus is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords? Then may each of our lives honour Jesus and may we give him the rightful place in our lives on a daily basis. Don’t just give him a token appreciation, but spend some good time with Jesus because that’s how we are transformed to be more like him.