V. Jesus is Judged by Pilate

Art created by Suzanne Young & located at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Grand Rapids, MI

The chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' He said to him in reply, 'You say so.' The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate questioned him, 'Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of.' Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.... Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barrabas... [and] handed [Jesus] over to be crucified.
 
Mark 15: 1-5, 15

(This post is part of a Lenten series on praying the Stations of the Cross - a devotional practice that is said to have started with Mary after the death and resurrection of Jesus. To start at the beginning, see the overview provided on March 5, 2023, and then go from there!)

Reflection
Jesus’ power is silent and strong, dignified and stable, never aggressive or pushy. He waits for humans to seek truth and see him. He never forces.
 
Even standing before Pilate, Jesus is offering something to him. He remains fully present in this scene, knowing he has what Pilate needs. He is available and ready to be found.
 
Pilate is hedging his bets here, deeply conflicted, much like Peter in the last station. He has this urge to be “clean,” leading him to a symbolic washing of his hands as he sends Jesus to die. This is reflective of themes throughout humanity’s relationship with God. We know we need cleansing from our violence-driven and power-hungry ways – God provided practices for cleansing throughout Old Testament history in response to our patterns of sin. Jesus, standing before Pilate, was about to offer his own blood as a more permanent cleansing for both him and for all the rest of us.
 
Pilate is all of us, longing to be right, safe, praised, accepted, cleansed of our mistakes, in power – and also confused and not always ready to see God in front of us amidst the noise of the crowd. As with Pilate, our seats of power and privilege remove us from the place where our deepest needs are met – at the feet of Jesus.
 
Jesus is not bothered by our confusion, our missteps, or our flailing. He remains ready and present, standing before us in dignified quiet until we can finally see him before us as Savior and God.
 
A note about mindfulness
It is rare that we truly see what is right in front of us, given our chronic mental clutter. With templates from past experiences and anxieties about future experiences jumping around our brains, it’s not uncommon to miss out on what the present moment has to offer.
 
Mindfulness practices can help us engage with what is present right now, and this is an important step whenever Jesus is before us, waiting for us to see him. When I become more aware through mindfulness, I have an opportunity to expand beyond conflicted and confusing thoughts (driven by the demands of the crowds) in order to see the simplified and dignified truth of salvation (provided by Jesus).
 
(For a list of mindfulness practices that help clear your sight to see what Jesus provides as you pray the Stations of the Cross, check out the Guides for Practice available here.)

Image Credit: Cathedral of St. Andrew
Artist: Suzanne Young