Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Pilate therefore said to him, ‘Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, April 3, 2022
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Sometimes surrender is the best way to victory.
Jesus neither admitted nor denied the accusations against him. How could he? They were human accusations about human-made doctrines. Jesus was God being held to human standards.
Though Jesus had enough wisdom to talk his way out of this, he didn’t try. He had enough followers to fight his way out of this, but he didn’t ask them to. Jesus knew that surrendering to the unstoppable wave of hatred and spite would have far more lasting effects than fighting. He came to bring God’s peace to this world. Fighting would be contrary to his entire message. He spoke with wisdom whenever the situation called for wisdom. Here, his refusal to beg for his life was wisdom.
Surrender is not in our nature. We have an instinct for fight or flight. Surrender requires an internal strength and self-confidence. Especially when surrender ends in the way Jesus’ did. But sometimes surrender is the best way to victory. We can surrender our self-interest in favor of the interests of others. We can surrender control in favor of healing (think addiction). We can surrender over-achieving and impossible standards in favor of a healthy work-life balance. There are many ways we can surrender so that God can take over. In the end, Jesus’ surrender conquered sin and death, and we are blessed by it forever.
