Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, March 22, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I am intrigued by Jesus’ answer. So I want to riff on it a bit. When Pilate asks if he’s King of the Jews, I think he doesn’t answer because the answer is both “yes” and “no.” Yes, Jesus was and is God’s promised Messiah, the one who will rule Israel, though maybe not in the flesh. No, Jesus was not acknowledged by the Jewish people as their king. No, Jesus would never sit on an earthly throne. But most of all: No, Jesus was not the King of the Jews only. Jesus was and is the ruler of all creation, without political divisions. Jesus reigned as much over Rome as Jerusalem. As much over gentiles and Jews. As much over the entirety of created reality as over human beings.
When Jesus says, “You say so,” I think he is pointing to Pilate’s limitations. Saying, “You think you have power, you think you rule, you think what you do to me matters. You’re wrong. You say that I’m the king of the Jews. You don’t know anything about anything.” That’s way more powerful than simply answering “yes” or “no” or explaining himself. And so what if it left Pilate confused? That was irrelevant in the course of events. Ultimately, Pilate, was irrelevant in the course of events. Jesus knew who Jesus was. That was enough.
How do I interpret Jesus’ cryptic answer to Pilate’s question? How does his answer matter?
