Title: The Five Deadly Sins of Pontius Pilate
The Gospel of John (106) Pontius Pilate's Five Deadly Sins (John 19:1-16)
1. The sin of not doing good
At that time, Pilate was trying to evade the trial of Jesus. He said the Lord many times with his mouth. “I find no guilt in him.” However, the Jews sanctified him, took Jesus and flogged Him (verse 1). He knew what good was, but he did not seek good. It is also a sin (James 4:17). Always live with a more positive conception of sin. Sin is not only 'doing evil', but 'not doing good' is also a sin.
2. The sin of neglecting injustice
Before the official verdict, the soldiers mocked Jesus terribly (verses 2-3). Even when he was doing what he was not supposed to do in court, Pilate stood by. It is a sin to commit a sin yourself, but it is also a sin to neglect sin and wrongdoing. Of course, it is sometimes necessary to close our eyes on injustice for a certain period of time to give us an opportunity for enlightenment, but we should avoid closing our eyes like the following. First, we must not close our eyes by acknowledging injustice. Second, you shouldn't close your eyes for fear that you will be harmed. Third, you shouldn't even close your eyes because it's annoying to put dirty soil on your body. It is necessary to give the injustice a chance, but allow the injustice itself and do not neglect it.
3. The crime of evading responsibility
If you can't find sin in Jesus, you shouldn't be crucified. However, he avoids the responsibility given to him for fear of losing the hearts of the people and says, “Take them and do what you want” (verse 6). How mean and coward are you? When it comes to working, there are some people who want to avoid responsibility too much. Since you have a wife and children and it is difficult to find a job again, you will instinctively do so to avoid responsibility for the wrong things. It's understandable, but it's fair to say that you know how to take responsibility for anything.
4. The sin of not knowing the subject
When the crowds talk about the Son of God, Pilate is afraid and asks Jesus. “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer and was silent (verse 9). Then Pilate said, “Do you not know that I have authority to release you and have authority to crucify you?” (verse 10). Look at how they exclaim before the Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth. It is also a great sin. Don't lose your subject. Be especially humble in your speech. What you see with your eyes and hear with your ears is expressed in words through your thoughts, so control your thoughts well from the beginning so that when words come out of your mouth, only those that are pleasing to God.
5. Sins of Popularity
Seeing the words and deeds that no one could attack, Pilate knew Jesus as 'something' and tried to release him, but when the Jews shouted, "Then you are not a confidant of Caesar (Roman emperor Caesar), but a traitor." crucified (verse 16). He was thoroughly concerned only with his own interests and careers. If you only think about your position and career and make a choice that matches people's popularity, it may seem like you are making a career out of it for a while, but in the end you will lose more and fail more. That fact is well illustrated by the historical account of Pilate.
Pilate was the fifth governor of Judea, who ruled from AD 26 to 36. As a cruel governor, he overly flattered Rome and forced the worship of the emperor in order to succeed. So, the governorship at that time usually left after about 5-6 years, but he was able to keep the governorship for 10 years with his brother and sister-in-law. However, when the Roman government heard the news of the massacre in Samaria under his leadership, and summoned Pilate, he decided that his political life was over and committed suicide. This is the end of Pilate.
If you choose a wide door only thinking about success, it will be an unfortunate choice. When choosing a community, God is pleased when we think and choose “What will I do for this place?”, but when we calculate and choose “What will I get from this place?”, it is an unfortunate choice. Do not use God for money, power, and advancement, but for the glory of God, give up money, power, and advancement and choose the narrow gate. Then God will bless you even more.