T H E O P H I L U S

22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

Matthew 27:22-24

In the year of 1964 in Kew Gardens, New York, a woman named Kitty Genovese was murdered by being stabbed to death outside her apartment. She was stabbed three times meanwhile bystanders who observed the crime did not assist nor call the police. Psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley had researched this tragic phenomenon and called it “The Bystander Effect”. This label described the diffusion of responsibility and social influence. In Genovese’s case, each onlooker concluded from their neighbors’ inaction that their own personal help was not needed. (sourced from psychologytoday.com)

In Pilate’s case, though not a bystander effect, we can relate this to our human behavior. Even though we know it is wrong, how many times have we stood up to act for justice? For the things that are right? Most likely, most of us have watched advertisements from charitable organizations for children and families of developing countries, and also for environmental / wildlife funds. But how many of us have taken the responsibility and feel the actual duty to help out? For some, it is only a matter of paying a bill monthly, and we have written off our responsibility and wiped our hands clean.

Pilate’s actions were none but the same. The washing of his hands did not mean that he was clean of the wrongful persecution of Jesus – it meant the exact opposite. There is no recollection of his repentance after the crucifixion of Jesus, nor any regret or sorrow. Although he may have felt disturbed by it, he was no different than that of Judas who betrayed Jesus.

Romans 3:23 says: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

But, the good news is, that Jesus comes back from the dead. That even when all have betrayed Jesus and sinned against him – both Jew and Gentile alike – Jesus still pays for our sins.

How then are we supposed to respond and apply this passage today? Though Pilate turned his face away from Jesus, we are called not to turn a blind eye to what we see as injustice. If we believe and have received God’s grace as truth for us, then we too ought to live life each day bearing a heart of sacrifice for one another with love and compassion. We no longer sit by watching people suffer around us, but reach out with the heart of God which loves unconditionally.

May you live in God’s compassion, and live actively serving him through compassion for others today. May we no longer live blind, nor choose to live blinded, but begin to see how wide, far, high and deep God’s love is for you and I, and our neighbors.