Are you the King of the Jews?

By: Derek Pillie

John 18: 33-37 (St. Joseph Edition):

So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the trust. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

On the feast of Christ the King, the Gospel reading recounts Jesus' testimony as Pilate attempted to discern the the motives of our Saviour as well as the motives of those that delivered Him to his hands. The above passage from John takes place after Jesus has been arrested and Peter has denied knowing who Jesus is twice. It is a powerful moment in the passion of our Lord and is denoted in the Saint Joseph Version of the Bible as "The Trial before Pilate." The message for us may not be clear until one reaches the final verse, when Jesus reveals that all who listen to him belong to the truth.

It is interesting that upon reflecting on this passage, I am reminded of the recent trial that took center stage in American government, the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Examining the exchange between Pilate and Jesus one can almost picture the exchange between Clinton and lawyers from Independent Counsel Starr's office. Despite one's political persuasion, people can agree that Clinton did not want to be there and felt contemptous of Starr's lawyers. One might also suggest that the lawyers were not pleased with Clinton's answers and kept at the president, determined to catch Clinton in some lie or contradiction.

This similarity is driven home when Pilate asks Jesus flat out if he is or is not the King of the Jews. The response given by Jesus, "You say I am a king," is reminiscent of Clinton's answer, "Well, that depends on what the definition of "is" is." Jesus encounters a similar situation in Matthew when the chief priests have placed him on trial. This account appears in Matthew 26: 63-64 (St. Joseph Edition):

...then the high priest said to him, "I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God." Jesus said to him in reply, "You have said so."

While I would not use this example to draw a comparison for a congregation, I do think this is a useful comparison for those involved in politics because it is so close to our professional experience. Both Jesus and Clinton are in major confrontations that could determine the outcome of their work. Jesus knows how his confrontation will end, but Clinton is not as sure. However, the major difference between these two scenarios is highlighted by one answer Jesus gives to Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews." Clinton's "kingdom" was most certainly of this world, and his "attendants" most certainly did fight to keep him from being handed over to his opposition.

Jesus is not trying to provide us guidance on how to wage political war or to win out against political adversaries, but is providing us with an example. This scripture is just part of the Passion of Jesus Christ and should be taken in that context, and not as a seperate lesson. The trivia of "earthly" political considerations should not sway those that receive the truth from putting those lessons into practice in their everyday life. It is interesting that in John's timeline this exchange takes place not long after Peter denies knowing Christ the third time before the cock crows. This juxtaposition offers the reader a strong contrast between divine considerations and political considerations. The key message for us is delivered at the end of the passage, where Jesus tells Pilate that "(E)veryone that belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

With that resolved, the question for those that listen to the voice of Christ is how do we resolve his teachings to our work in government and politics? There are many different ways to answer this question because anyone may take something different out of the same scripture reading. Ultimately, there are guideways for us to follow as Christians in our daily lives, and this passage reinforces that our human guide through this earthly life is Jesus Christ the King, who gives us the truth through his life.

In that vein, this passage is a great way to introduce this project. I will continue to write about the Gospel and how we can take Christ's words and apply his teaching to our daily lives in government and politics. I do not profess to be a Biblical scholar. I do profess to be a Christian that deals with the political world and works to resolve my faith and my profession on a daily basis. I hope that you will give me your thoughts on these writings, as it is only through your feedback that I will improve my analysis and understanding of Christ's word. Continue to listen for the truth, and to live it in your daily life.

As always, your feedback is appreciated. Please send me a comment with your thoughts on this paper!

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