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Matthew 27:15-21. Politics 13 Dec 2023

Mat 27:15 At festival time
it was the governor's practice
to release a prisoner for the people,
anyone they chose.
16 Now there was then a notorious prisoner
whose name was Barabbas.
17 So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them,
'Which do you want me to release for you:
Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?'
18 For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy
that they had handed him over.
19 Now as he was seated in the chair of judgment,
his wife sent him a message,
'Have nothing to do with that upright man;
I have been extremely upset today
by a dream that I had about him.'
20 The chief priests and the elders, however,
had persuaded the crowd
to demand the release of Barabbas
and the execution of Jesus.
21 So when the governor spoke and asked them,
'Which of the two do you want me to release for you?'
they said, 'Barabbas.'

Excerpt from THE NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

Let me summarize what was happening:
1) The chief priests and elders came with messy, false acquisitions.
2) Pilate was not convinced and came with a kind but clumsy proposal.
3) Pilate realized that the chief priest and elders were jealous
4) The wife of Pilate had a warning dream, naming Jesus as 'upright'.
Still politics won over justice.

Prayer

Jesus, help me to value justice above relationship. Protect me from letting self-righteousness killing relationship.

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