"'Do you refuse to speak to me'? Pilate said. 'Don't you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?' Jesus answered, 'You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above'." John 19:10-11a
Sometimes I think we may put way too much faith in the halls of power.
Ok, maybe not sometimes, maybe most of the time. Whether those halls are located inside the Beltway, or whether they are much closer to Broadway (like, say, Wall Street) - it seems an undue amount of trust is placed in these locations. It's as if they are places of worship - shrines to some power religion.
To place that much trust in Presidents and economies is always going to be somewhat of a disappointment. We need both (Presidents and economies) - but we need our trust in other places.
It seems that through the Bible there have always been people of God who were willing to speak truth to power - even to speak truth when they were on the margins - the underbelly - of power.
Moses did it with Pharoah. Daniel with King Nebuchadnezzer. Elijah with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Esther with Xerxes. All of the (minor) prophets to the Kings of Israel/Judah in the divided kingdom. Stephen, Peter, and John with the Sanhedrin. The Apostle Paul with the Romans (or Jews, or Greeks). In all of these cases, interestingly, those who spoke to power did not want power. They weren't trying to line up as the next king. They weren't rounding up votes. They simply wanted the justice and glory of God to be demonstrated.
And, of course, there is Jesus to add to this list.
Jesus is confronted with power - both in his homeland with some apostate Priests, and with the occupying Romans when he faced Pontius Pilate. And, as King of both the Jews and the Universe, Jesus spoke truth to power because He knew where the ultimate source of all things resided. He told Pilate that unless power was granted to him (by a power higher than himself), he would never have the power to do anything to Jesus. It is amazing to watch the power that comes from Jesus in silence and in humility.
Unfortunately, we sometimes try to gain power the same way power came to be - by force. We picket, or strike, or boycott. Or maybe we choose the path of violence or slander or manipulation or bribery to get ourselves into power. But why? Is it because we could do such a better job with power? Is it because we deserve it? Or might it be that our trust is in power - and the vehicles that give us power - more than in God. So what did our example, King Jesus, do when confronted with power?
Jesus trusted His Father.
This could be seen from the time He walked into the wilderness for a 40 day grappling match with Satan - to the secret meeting of the Sanhedrin - to the halls of the Roman Praetorium - to the cross where He was nailed.
Jesus trusted His Father unequivocally.
Not in horses or chariots or swords. Not in guns or Presidential seals or dollar bills.
He trusted His Father. And so should we.
