http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2015:9-10&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019:4-6,%2012&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2027:24-26&version=NIV1984
As I mentioned yesterday, Pontius Pilate and his sell-out of Jesus is the poster child for compromise. In the end, Pilate sentenced Jesus, a man he publicly declared innocent several times (not to mention Herod who also said the same) to death because of peer pressure. Because he was afraid that the Jewish religious leaders would send an unfavorable report to Tiberius Caesar. That he would be portrayed as knowingly and willingly letting an accused leader of a potential Jewish rebellion go free. With his patron, Sejanus, having recently been deposed by the Emperor, Pilate felt that he couldn’t take that risk. So he gave in. He compromised. He let himself be pressured to go against what he knew was right. A sad situation indeed.
The following are some of the dangers associated with compromise as seen in the life of Pilate. These are dangers that we must also avoid.
1 - Seeks to avoid the situation completely
After Pilate pronounced Jesus as innocent the Jews persisted in their insistence that He be crucified. Then Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean. How convenient! Herod happened to be in town and he was the governor of Judea. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. This way he could avoid taking a further stand on Jesus’ innocence.
2 - Seeks to deal with it indirectly
Well, Herod also found Jesus innocent and sent him back to Pilate. The ball was now once again in his court. It was then that the idea of releasing a prisoner came up. There was a notorious murderer in jail named Barabbas. Pilate figured that the religious leaders wouldn’t want a murderer released. He thought this would be a great way of avoiding a confrontation with the Jews. So Pilate offered to release the prisoner of their choice. Incited by the chief priests, the crowd demanded the release of Barabbas. Not what Pilate had expected.
3 - Seeks to make concessions
Now Pilate is beginning to feel the heat. So he has Jesus flogged. After beating Him half to death, he brings Jesus out and presents Him to the crowd. Certainly the savage beating that Jesus took would be enough to satisfy the Jews’ thirst for blood and revenge he thought. Wrong again. The Jews would stop nothing short of Jesus’ crucifixion.
4 - Seeks to escape responsibility
Finally, with the situation threatening to turn into a full blown riot, Pilate makes the final compromise. He releases Barabbas and sentences Jesus to be crucified. The Jewish leaders were happy. In exchange, no incriminating and damaging report about Pilate would be forthcoming from them to Caesar. In an attempt to disassociate himself from this travesty of justice, Pilate publicly washed his hands of the whole matter. The Jews accepted this. But God didn’t. Washing one’s hands can never atone for condemning a righteous man to death.
1 - Seeks to avoid the situation completely
After Pilate pronounced Jesus as innocent the Jews persisted in their insistence that He be crucified. Then Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean. How convenient! Herod happened to be in town and he was the governor of Judea. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. This way he could avoid taking a further stand on Jesus’ innocence.
2 - Seeks to deal with it indirectly
Well, Herod also found Jesus innocent and sent him back to Pilate. The ball was now once again in his court. It was then that the idea of releasing a prisoner came up. There was a notorious murderer in jail named Barabbas. Pilate figured that the religious leaders wouldn’t want a murderer released. He thought this would be a great way of avoiding a confrontation with the Jews. So Pilate offered to release the prisoner of their choice. Incited by the chief priests, the crowd demanded the release of Barabbas. Not what Pilate had expected.
3 - Seeks to make concessions
Now Pilate is beginning to feel the heat. So he has Jesus flogged. After beating Him half to death, he brings Jesus out and presents Him to the crowd. Certainly the savage beating that Jesus took would be enough to satisfy the Jews’ thirst for blood and revenge he thought. Wrong again. The Jews would stop nothing short of Jesus’ crucifixion.
4 - Seeks to escape responsibility
Finally, with the situation threatening to turn into a full blown riot, Pilate makes the final compromise. He releases Barabbas and sentences Jesus to be crucified. The Jewish leaders were happy. In exchange, no incriminating and damaging report about Pilate would be forthcoming from them to Caesar. In an attempt to disassociate himself from this travesty of justice, Pilate publicly washed his hands of the whole matter. The Jews accepted this. But God didn’t. Washing one’s hands can never atone for condemning a righteous man to death.
Unfortunately, as Christians, just like Pilate, we face the temptation to compromise every day. To compromise our values. Our beliefs. And ultimately our Savior. These temptations are both big and small. Subtle and obvious. The little white lie we tell to get us out of a sticky situation. The fear of saying grace in public. The unwillingness to take a Biblical stand on homosexuality. Or abortion. The giving in to do something unethical at work.
And peer pressure plays a large part in our temptation to compromise. Because deep down we do care what others think about us. We all want to be liked. Well thought of. We don’t want to be seen as old-fashioned. Conservative. Judgmental. Intolerant. So we sacrifice Jesus for the sake of popularity. Convenience. Career advancement. To save ourselves. I don’t know that you would find this definition in Webster’s dictionary but one way to look at compromise is that it occurs when we are more concerned about what others think about us than what God thinks about us.
And peer pressure plays a large part in our temptation to compromise. Because deep down we do care what others think about us. We all want to be liked. Well thought of. We don’t want to be seen as old-fashioned. Conservative. Judgmental. Intolerant. So we sacrifice Jesus for the sake of popularity. Convenience. Career advancement. To save ourselves. I don’t know that you would find this definition in Webster’s dictionary but one way to look at compromise is that it occurs when we are more concerned about what others think about us than what God thinks about us.
So what can we do to avoid compromise?
1. Be firmly committed to the truth. To our values and beliefs.
2. Develop convictions based upon the Bible. This means we need to know what it says.
3. Recognize compromise when we see it. And take a firm, early stand against it.
4. Pray.
5. Seek godly counsel. Get advice from other mature believers.
While the temptation to compromise is inevitable, giving in to it is not. By the grace and strength of God, we can both avoid putting ourselves in compromising situations and avoid giving into them when they come our way!
Lord, help me not to put myself in compromising situations. And when they do come my way, help me stand against them. By the strength of Your Word. And the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
2. Develop convictions based upon the Bible. This means we need to know what it says.
3. Recognize compromise when we see it. And take a firm, early stand against it.
4. Pray.
5. Seek godly counsel. Get advice from other mature believers.
While the temptation to compromise is inevitable, giving in to it is not. By the grace and strength of God, we can both avoid putting ourselves in compromising situations and avoid giving into them when they come our way!
Lord, help me not to put myself in compromising situations. And when they do come my way, help me stand against them. By the strength of Your Word. And the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment