Where They Draw the Line

Scripture: Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them. John 18:28-29a

Observation: As the trial of Jesus moves to the secular, Roman process, the Jews face a problem. They need to present Jesus to Pilot, but cannot enter the governor's property because it is a defiled place (likely due to the presence of idols, and perhaps due to the diet of the Romans). They want to remain ceremonially clean during the Passover.

This is a subject reviewed before, but so far during this night the Jews have violated at least four of their laws ... they charged a man without written charges, they held a trial at night, they held the first hearing before a judge who was not the high priest, they listened to false testimony (and knew it). However, this is where they draw the line regarding what behavior they will condone ... entering the wrong building. They will actively violate the Lord's clear laws and precepts, but won't do something that is absolutely not a sin and for which the Lord gives instructions for a workaround, but it will be an inconvenience to their plans for the day.

Application: I have watched a Youtube series by an archeologist who seeks to identify biblical locations, and he has a video with good evidence about where this event takes place. Where Jesus was Tried It is a place outside the wall of the Roman governor's palace, where there is an antechamber between two doors, which includes some stairs up to a chair. It was explicitly for this purpose, where Pilot could sit and hear from people who could not enter the palace. It places this conversation in an interesting context. Once again, the Jews are acting in a small and secretive way, holding this 'trial' in a place unable to fit more than about 5 or 6 people, hidden from BOTH the Jews outside the building and the Romans on the inside.

And after all their complaints and claims against Jesus, what they really care about is ... ceremonial cleanliness. They are willing to violate almost any law and circumvent almost any normal and moral practice of fairness, as long as they can eat their lamb dinner tonight.

This is the order we see in society today. We see entire factions of society that openly violate all kinds of clear moral laws, but are furious if anyone might use the wrong pronoun around them. The same people who declare support for terrorists that kill innocent teens, will then turn around and attack a choir who is daring to sing in public.

If you want to identify evil, you don't have to judge what is being done as wrong in the eyes of the Lord. Simply look at where they draw the line, and if what is on their "unacceptable" side of that line is clearly meaningless then certainly satan's lies are at work in their hearts.

Prayer: Lord, judgment is not ours, and I reject the idea of judging people today for their words or actions. I leave that to you, and I know with great faith that you have and do in fact know what to do about the words and actions of people in our region. However, I also see your measuring rod here, and know that the lies of this world are most obvious when the order of what is acceptable and what is detestable is provably upside-down. May I have the wisdom to understand your order, in your kingdom here on earth. Amen.