WEEK TWO: When You’re Torn (Pilate)

For the past three weeks, John had watched it happen. First, it was passive-aggressive comments about Sarah’s reports in team meetings. Then, it was Greg taking credit for her ideas. Today, the violation was brazen. Greg was deleting crucial formulas from a shared file Sarah had just finished, ensuring she would look incompetent when the manager reviewed it in an hour.

John knew what was right. He knew he should stand up, walk over to Greg, and say, "I saw that. Put it back." Or at least, report it to HR. His heart pounded with the adrenaline of injustice. He even stood up halfway, but then sat back down.

“If I say something, Greg will turn his focus on me,” a voice whispered in his mind. “It’s not my fight. Maybe Sarah can handle it. If I interfere, I’m just making trouble for myself.” At 5:00pm, he watched Sarah walk out silently alone, defeated while Greg talked loudly about his evening plan.

How many times have we found ourselves in a similar type of situation? We observe or know of something that is wrong, and we could (and probably should) do something about it…but because of how it might affect us, we don’t do anything. It is a tension all of us face, being torn between truth and convenience.

Pilate found himself in this situation when confronted with what to do with Jesus. As the Roman governor, Jesus had been brought to him for judgment by the Jewish authorities who wanted to kill Jesus.

Upon questioning Jesus, he determined that he was not guilty of any crime, but because of pressure from those leaders, he was willing to hand Jesus over to be crucified. Pilate held the power to release him, but he chose to do nothing about it, washing his hands of the situation.

Every one of us are faced with this same decision so to speak…what do we do with Jesus? We decide everyday as to whether we will accept Jesus for who he is or not. We choose every day to accept or reject Jesus. And neutrality is not possible, because to know the truth but avoid it is still rejection.

James 4:17 says, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not to do it.” (NLT) Once you know truth, you are responsible to respond. So, where are you compromising? Where are you caving in to culture rather than standing with Jesus? This is a call to courageous faith! It is a call to stand for truth and to get off the sidelines when eternity is at stake. The truth of Jesus demands a response. What is your decision?