O, When Wrong is Right
Rev. Enoch Thompson | October 20 2024 | John 19:1
KEY VERSE:
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. John 19:1 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
In a fallen sinful world right is not always right; very often right is wrong, and wrong is right. Wrong is right when people with power but without knowledge or the fear of God abuse their power to hurt other people and to achieve their political ends.
The trial of the Lord Jesus by Pilate in John chapter 18 has shown repeatedly that there was no basis for Him to be accused by the Jewish leaders. Pilate had told the Jews, "I find no basis for a charge against him.” John 18:38 (NIV), and yet in that same context Pilate chose to act in a way that sought to satisfy the desire of the Jews to see Jesus punished in some way, and so he took the Lord and got Him flogged. Certainly, this flogging was against conscience, it was against justice and it was against Roman law.
Pilate was seeking political expediency, he wanted to look good in the eyes of the Jews, at the risk of looking bad in the eyes of his conscience, and in the eyes of justice. But wrong can never be right and must not be allowed to seem right. The cowardly stamping down of conscience will only give us a bad name like Pilate has got in history, and in many cases bring us to a terrible end as befell Pilate who ended up exiled in France until his death.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
How is it with you; are you making wrong look like right, misusing power to impress your sinful self or others who make wrong demands on you? Be warned!
Do you feel suppressed, oppressed, maligned, sidelined, or abused by people who seem to have power over and against you; don’t worry, the just Judge shall come, and all wrong shall be corrected.
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me if I have abused any person, to save my skin or to make me look good. Please help me to stand for right, and be willing to suffer for it, if need be, especially to free the oppressed and the underdog, For Christ’s dear Name’s sake, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
DAILY word study: FLOGGED
The word "flogged" comes from the Greek mastigoó (μαστιγόω), meaning to whip or scourge as a form of punishment. It was a brutal form of corporal punishment often reserved for criminals.
The use of flogged in John 19:1 refers to the brutal punishment Jesus endured despite His innocence. It symbolizes the injustice of Pilate’s decision to appease the crowd, allowing an innocent man to suffer. For believers, this moment highlights the cost Jesus bore for our salvation and warns against compromising truth for political or personal convenience. Reflections: In what ways do you compromise what is right to please others? Are you willing to stand for truth, even if it means facing discomfort or opposition?
Comentarios