To Whom Do You Listen?

Luke 23:22-24 (ESV) A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

Have you ever thought you knew the right thing to do but someone else’s loud voice led you to do something different? That seems to be the case with Pontius Pilate. He was the governor of the most rebellious province in the whole Roman Empire. Becoming a governor was a great honor for him and an opportunity to prove himself possibly worthy of the highest seat in the world of his time, but he had to show he could lead effectively.

Pilate exercised a strong hand early in his term, but this caused an uproar and a rebuke from Caesar. At the time of Jesus’ trial, his situation was tenuous. He had to keep order and prove himself an effective leader.

He had no doubt heard about this Jesus, whose case he was to try. It sounds like he gave him a fair hearing. John 18 & 19 go into even more detail on their conversation. Pilate was convinced that Jesus had not done anything deserving of death. Yet, as we see above, the voices of the Jewish leaders prevailed, and Pilate made the decision they wanted, not the one his conscience directed him to give.

Although we may not be deciding life or death court cases, we still face the choice every day. Will we do the right thing or give into the loudest voices? Sometimes that is the same decision, but let us be careful to choose well when it is not. Just because their voices are loud does not make them right.