Every now and again when reading through Scripture I come across a phrase that breaks my heart. One such is in Mark’s account of Jesus’ trial. It’s a simple phrase, yet in its simplicity it sums up not only Pilate’s actions, but the actions of so many, even sadly my own actions.
Mark 15:15: “So to pacify [NIV: satisfy] the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.” [NLT]
Pilate is the one that released Barabbas to the crowd, and Pilate is the one that had Jesus flogged. Even though he washed his hands, Pilate is the one that handed Jesus over to be crucified. As much as that saddens me, the phrase that breaks my heart is what comes at the beginning of that Scripture . . . wanting “to satisfy the crowd.”
John writes a similar phrase in his Gospel when he relates that many of the Pharisees believed Jesus but did not confess Him lest they be expelled from the Synagogue. John says, “For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.” [John 12:43 NLT]
How many times do I find myself trying to “satisfy the crowd” or doing something for the “praise of men?” It is a sinister trap the enemy of our souls often sets for us. It is a sinister trap I still find myself succumbing to—even after all these years.
Forgive me, Lord!
