Pilate: Part III

As we wrap this character study up, let’s look at one more piece of this puzzle called Pilate. This ruler, this man of authority not only denied Jesus, truth incarnate, but he denied himself and others who had wise counsel. In other words, Pilate failed on multiple levels. In many cases, we do not have to ‘go it alone’ as they say, but instead have the opportunity to seek advice from others and weigh the options given to us.

External Sources of Wisdom

            First, let’s look at the external sources that Pilate neglected to listen to. Most obvious of all the external sources was the one whom he was charged with finding truth, Jesus. Pilate believed Jesus to be innocent based on his findings and was intrigued by him as a person, but counsel is only of use when it is seen through to the end. Wisdom requires action, it requires follow through and commitment. Pilate received the knowledge that Jesus imparted, but was incapable to act upon it because of his duplicitous and conniving nature. Pilate physically heard what Jesus was saying, but failed to really listen, which takes internalization of what is said to heart. Unfortunately, Pilate not only shooed away or dismissed Jesus, but also neglected the testimony of his wife.

The Dream of Pilate's Wife (ca. 1879), engraving by Alphonse François after Gustave Doré

It is in Matthew 27:19 that his wife sends word to, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” We do not know the depth of Pilate’s marriage, but one would assume a message such as that would give pause. This would especially be true since the Romans were known to be superstitious and put a lot of stock into dreams and visions. God is Creator of all things, so it should be no surprise that he can and does use people to fulfill his purposes. Not only that, he uses people to help and heal us. Pilate was looking for a way out, he had grave concerns that killing Jesus would not be good for him to do and now even his wife was urging and pleading with him to spare “that righteous man.” Pilate was self-centered as we’ve discussed before and because of this his relationships seemed strained and superficial. Sadly, as Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend state in their fantastic book How People Grow, “Independence from relationship is independence from God himself…it is also independence from the way he designed for us to grow.”[1] In other words, Pilate turned his back on what has been given to all of us as a means to cope with decisions we face and life in general.  In the most simplistic terms, we are made for relationship. Pilate turned his back on one of the most important relationships he had, marriage. Looking back at the OT, Proverbs uses a woman to personify wisdom. In 31:26 it says, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Despite what some may think and what chauvinism so wrongly preaches, a godly wife is of great value and worth and in fact, “more precious than jewels.”[2] It suffices to say then, that Pilate’s ego got in the way of his decision making process and that is why he spurned the advice of those in front of him. “Take counsel with a wise and conscientious man. Seek the advice of your betters in preference to following your own inclinations.”^[3] If only Pilate had the mind to abdicate to his betters.

Internal Sources of Wisdom

Refusing this counsel from others however, Pilate still had a chance to make the right decision by listening to what I call internal sources of wisdom, in other words, your “gut feelings.” Upon hearing the Jews accuse Jesus of making, “himself the Son of God,” something within Pilate shook him deeply or in the words of John, “he was even more afraid.”[4] We’ve all had these moments where upon hearing, seeing, smelling, or even touching something we instinctively know something is awry. At times it may seem imperceptible, but internally we know that it is not right. From the get-go Pilate has seen something different in this man Jesus, but the Jews here have named it, that he believes himself to be the “Son of God.” This moves Pilate to curiously ask, “Where are you from?” What is important in this question is that Pilate already knows or thinks he knows where Jesus is from, Galilee, for Luke tells us that Jesus was sent to Herod. This question then has more spiritual nuances to it. Pilate, moved by his gut feeling, asks Jesus, ‘You weren’t kidding then when you said your kingdom is not of this world, are you saying then you’re from the otherworldly?’ And with that the point of internal sources arises, which is this, we are all made in the image of God and therefore are imbued with a sixth sense when it comes to things of a spiritual nature, because in a way, “You don’t have a soul, you are a soul, you have a body.”[5] Pilate is struggling internally with his soul, which states Jesus is who he says he is, compared to his callous and wicked heart that is telling him to serve his own needs and desires despite the fear that Jesus engenders. We have the sense of the Creator engraved on our hearts, but are disconnected from it because of sin. Therefore, listen to what God is speaking to your soul, listen to that gut feeling, it could someday save your life.

Truth in Wisdom

The next and last question is, once faced with counsel, how do we decipher what truth is? Pilate had a variety of “truths” thrown at him. We’ve seen the truth of Jesus; given to him both in words spoken by Him and internally through God’s presence written on his heart. The same can be said for Pilate’s wife, whom brought forth truth that was given to her from God. But what about the Jews, was their truth or wisdom worth a hearing, Pilate obviously thought so and in fact sided with them. Although what the Jews were saying was a form of wisdom, it was not the kind in which we are to follow. “This,” as the Letter of James so perfectly states, “is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”[6] No, that is definitely not the kind of wisdom that builds up, but is destructive and egocentric. We are to listen to wise counsel, that of God.

            In the Christian life, how are we to know what wise counsel is? How do we discern that which is from above? There are four ways that I believe are worthy of note. The first is the Word of God, i.e., the Bible. If what we are trying to do goes against God’s word then it’s probably not the wisest thing to do. God’s word is authoritative and true. Second, prayer, we can seek wisdom through prayer. That means we not only ask for what we need, but also take the time to stop…and listen. What is God telling you? Third is through the work of the Holy Spirit. He’s the one that is working in each of us right now, convicting, teaching, and instilling Christ-like qualities within us. Lastly is through godly friends and mentors. As stated earlier, God uses people to help us in our times of trouble and confusion. One caveat on that is to remember to make sure what you’re being told passes the first test, is it in line with scripture?       

            Pilate had numerous opportunities to make the right decision; he had the facts, the truth, but failed to act. He had the God-given authority to do and be the judge that is expected of a person of his rank and office, but shirked it and failed. And last, he scoffed at the wise counsel that was standing right in front of him and inside of him. To know your own flaws is half the battle. Understand that we are now living in Christ and do not have to ‘go it alone,’ but have the power of God through Christ and by the Holy Spirit to overcome any obstacle. Ask and listen.

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[1] Henry Cloud and John Townsend, How People Grow, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 122

[2] Proverbs 31:10

^[3]Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1996), 9

[4] John 19:7-8

[5] I’ve memorized this awhile ago and cannot find a definitive answer on who said or wrote this, The three attributed with it are C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and Walter M. Miller Jr.

[6] James 3:15-16