Breaking the Patterns of the Pilate

Breaking the Patterns of the Pilate

"From Pilate to Preschool: Learning the Patterns of the Kingdom"

November 24, 2024

Christ the King Sunday

John 18:33-37

Rev. Teer Hardy

In Rome, Caesar was the ultimate symbol of that kind of power. Caesar embodied the pattern of worldly power: victory through force, glory in wealth, and security through fear. The Romans had a saying for this pattern – Pax Roma, the peace of Rome – but everyone knew that peace came at a cost. It was the kind of peace you could only maintain with legions of soldiers and the shadow of the sword.

Along comes Jesus, and instead of following the same pattern, he offers something entirely different. Jesus does not ride into Jerusalem on a warhorse; he enters the city on Palm Sunday on the back of a borrowed burro. He does not wield a sword; he kneels and washes feet. He does not command armies of legionnaires; he calls fishermen and tax collectors. Jesus’s pattern for kingship did not compute for Pilate, and it only sometimes makes sense to us. Jesus does not look or act like the king we expect. He does not promise power or prestige to the church. He does not fight fire with fire. Instead, Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek," and "The first shall be last."

We are so familiar with the patterns of the empire that it can be difficult for us to embrace the patterns of Christ. And still, Jesus invites us into this pattern and a life of grace that challenges assumptions of power. If we pay attention, Jesus invites us to break free from this world's patterns and step into the pattern of his grace.

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