Matthew 27:22-26. Washing our hands of him??? Lent 2010
{22) "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" {23} "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" {24} When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" {25} All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" {26} Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
This Lenten season as we focus on various objects connected to the passion of our Lord we are drawn to reflect on how terribly impoverished we as a human race are as a result of the sin that is there in us all. But at the same time through these objects, we see the riches of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that he extends to us. Here this evening we will be reflecting in Pilate’s washing of his hands in an attempt to excuse himself of any blame for the death of Jesus.
‘Washing our hands of this issue.’ It is interesting isn’t it the connotation that this phrase still now has, centuries later. Whether this is the first time it is used or not, here we have a symbolic act which we think will divert the blame away from ourselves. Pilate knows that Jesus is not guilty of the accusations that are hurled at him, but in order to be politically expedient he ‘washes his hands’ of the matter. He would sooner give in to the crowd than stand up for what is right and true.
What a coward we have here, washing his hands, rather than protect the innocent and good. Even though he had the position and power to do what is right, he found it far easier to give in to popular demand. He could easily have brought in the army and protected the ‘King of the Jews’ and quelled any uprising that may have resulted from freeing one who was not guilty of the charges brought against him. And from our perspective that would have meant that, Jesus Christ would have been able to continue on with his wondrous ministry of miracles and proclamation of a great philosophy of life. This great man’s life was cut short because Pilate, the one who could have protected him, chose instead to do what was popular and so washed his hands of any guilt being placed on himself.
But it is all fine for us here to look back with scorn on Pilate and his attitude and actions, but what about us and our attitudes and actions. Far too often, we also wash our hands of what we know is right and good. In order to go along with the crowd and to do what is popular we will give in to what we know is right and true. We will try to absolve ourselves of any guilt for doing so, by making all kinds of excuse and justifications.
Yes, even when it comes to our Lord Jesus, how many times do we wash our hands of our guilt for our failures to take him and what he has to say to us seriously? How many times don’t we also look for the miracle worker, philosopher and moral teacher, but want to ignore the Jesus on the cross and its implications for our lives. We try to wash our hands of the guilt of doing so by justifying our position with all kinds of reasoning and even the use of Scripture.
We too would sooner go along with the devil, the world and our sinful self, rather than be ridiculed for standing up for what is right and true. We would sooner be socially and politically expedient than take the difficulties and hardships that would come our way for standing with the Lord Jesus and the centrality of his death on the cross. We too deserve all the scorn that is hurled our way for washing our hands of the guilt of Jesus’ death.
But this is where this whole issue gets really interesting. When we shift our focus to the central figure in this whole event, what do we see in his attitude, actions and the outcome of what happens to him and through him. Here find something truly extraordinary, which shatters our whole human way of thinking, looking at things and of what results in that which is good and right.
When Pilate washes his hands of the blood of Jesus; when the Jews cry out for his crucifixion; and when we continually wash our hands of our guilt, we find that Jesus instead of turning his back on us and justifiably washing his hands of us, he willingly allows it all to be placed on him. He takes all of our rebellion, guilt and shame on himself, allowing himself to be killed: Punished for all that we are and do. He allows himself to be crucified for us and for our salvation. What amazing love we have lived out before our very eyes.
He could have walked away from all of that: from you and me. He could so easily have washed his hands of us, deciding that we just so hopeless and rebellious that he would give up on us altogether: We are just not worth his blood, sweat and tears. We have made ourselves enemies of him by being so selfish and self-centred that we would reject him to the point of death. But he doesn’t turn his back on us, but takes on himself what we deserve.
We all are so totally and wilfully rebellious and yet he continues on to do what is good for us. No washing of his hands of us and the blood that we deserve to be extended to us. Instead, he gives us his very blood which he shed on the cross for our sin: and through that blood and our connection with him, we have the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and thereby also of salvation and eternal life with our God. Nothing now need separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus.
This is absolutely extraordinary! This is surely humbling for us all. Surely now, we will fall on bended knee and submit ourselves to the love that he has extended to us. Surely now we will grasp onto him and the grace that he has extended to, for dear life; knowing that we are unworthy and that we can do nothing to help ourselves. Surely now we will not continue to wash our hands of him and his blood.
Yes, surely this Lenten season we will stop and reflect on how badly we so often turn our backs on this One who has done all of this for us; and we will then seek his forgiveness, help and strength to cling to him alone, as the One who is truly important in our lives. Surely, now we cannot help but seek to give up on ourselves and our selfish way of thinking, living and acting. We have One who has committed himself totally to us; so surely we hold to him as to that which is of utmost importance.
Yes, let us cling to all that Jesus has done for us in our baptisms; joining us to his death and resurrection; washing us clean and accepting us as his very own. Who gives us his body and blood to eat and drink so that we can not only know that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation is ours, but that he seeks to now go with us and help us live this new and better life. Let humbly submit ourselves to his Word so that he can lead and guide us as to the way we should now live and act as his people, who have been rescued from hell and given eternal life with the Almighty God himself.
Now we can give up on ourselves and our selfish ways and do the very best that we can in holding up Jesus Christ and his death on the cross as that which is of utmost importance for our whole life. We can wash our hands of the ways of our rebellious world and allow this Jesus to be the be all and end all, of all that we are and do. For after all, to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
{22) "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" {23} "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" {24} When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" {25} All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" {26} Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
This Lenten season as we focus on various objects connected to the passion of our Lord we are drawn to reflect on how terribly impoverished we as a human race are as a result of the sin that is there in us all. But at the same time through these objects, we see the riches of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that he extends to us. Here this evening we will be reflecting in Pilate’s washing of his hands in an attempt to excuse himself of any blame for the death of Jesus.
‘Washing our hands of this issue.’ It is interesting isn’t it the connotation that this phrase still now has, centuries later. Whether this is the first time it is used or not, here we have a symbolic act which we think will divert the blame away from ourselves. Pilate knows that Jesus is not guilty of the accusations that are hurled at him, but in order to be politically expedient he ‘washes his hands’ of the matter. He would sooner give in to the crowd than stand up for what is right and true.
What a coward we have here, washing his hands, rather than protect the innocent and good. Even though he had the position and power to do what is right, he found it far easier to give in to popular demand. He could easily have brought in the army and protected the ‘King of the Jews’ and quelled any uprising that may have resulted from freeing one who was not guilty of the charges brought against him. And from our perspective that would have meant that, Jesus Christ would have been able to continue on with his wondrous ministry of miracles and proclamation of a great philosophy of life. This great man’s life was cut short because Pilate, the one who could have protected him, chose instead to do what was popular and so washed his hands of any guilt being placed on himself.
But it is all fine for us here to look back with scorn on Pilate and his attitude and actions, but what about us and our attitudes and actions. Far too often, we also wash our hands of what we know is right and good. In order to go along with the crowd and to do what is popular we will give in to what we know is right and true. We will try to absolve ourselves of any guilt for doing so, by making all kinds of excuse and justifications.
Yes, even when it comes to our Lord Jesus, how many times do we wash our hands of our guilt for our failures to take him and what he has to say to us seriously? How many times don’t we also look for the miracle worker, philosopher and moral teacher, but want to ignore the Jesus on the cross and its implications for our lives. We try to wash our hands of the guilt of doing so by justifying our position with all kinds of reasoning and even the use of Scripture.
We too would sooner go along with the devil, the world and our sinful self, rather than be ridiculed for standing up for what is right and true. We would sooner be socially and politically expedient than take the difficulties and hardships that would come our way for standing with the Lord Jesus and the centrality of his death on the cross. We too deserve all the scorn that is hurled our way for washing our hands of the guilt of Jesus’ death.
But this is where this whole issue gets really interesting. When we shift our focus to the central figure in this whole event, what do we see in his attitude, actions and the outcome of what happens to him and through him. Here find something truly extraordinary, which shatters our whole human way of thinking, looking at things and of what results in that which is good and right.
When Pilate washes his hands of the blood of Jesus; when the Jews cry out for his crucifixion; and when we continually wash our hands of our guilt, we find that Jesus instead of turning his back on us and justifiably washing his hands of us, he willingly allows it all to be placed on him. He takes all of our rebellion, guilt and shame on himself, allowing himself to be killed: Punished for all that we are and do. He allows himself to be crucified for us and for our salvation. What amazing love we have lived out before our very eyes.
He could have walked away from all of that: from you and me. He could so easily have washed his hands of us, deciding that we just so hopeless and rebellious that he would give up on us altogether: We are just not worth his blood, sweat and tears. We have made ourselves enemies of him by being so selfish and self-centred that we would reject him to the point of death. But he doesn’t turn his back on us, but takes on himself what we deserve.
We all are so totally and wilfully rebellious and yet he continues on to do what is good for us. No washing of his hands of us and the blood that we deserve to be extended to us. Instead, he gives us his very blood which he shed on the cross for our sin: and through that blood and our connection with him, we have the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and thereby also of salvation and eternal life with our God. Nothing now need separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus.
This is absolutely extraordinary! This is surely humbling for us all. Surely now, we will fall on bended knee and submit ourselves to the love that he has extended to us. Surely now we will grasp onto him and the grace that he has extended to, for dear life; knowing that we are unworthy and that we can do nothing to help ourselves. Surely now we will not continue to wash our hands of him and his blood.
Yes, surely this Lenten season we will stop and reflect on how badly we so often turn our backs on this One who has done all of this for us; and we will then seek his forgiveness, help and strength to cling to him alone, as the One who is truly important in our lives. Surely, now we cannot help but seek to give up on ourselves and our selfish way of thinking, living and acting. We have One who has committed himself totally to us; so surely we hold to him as to that which is of utmost importance.
Yes, let us cling to all that Jesus has done for us in our baptisms; joining us to his death and resurrection; washing us clean and accepting us as his very own. Who gives us his body and blood to eat and drink so that we can not only know that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation is ours, but that he seeks to now go with us and help us live this new and better life. Let humbly submit ourselves to his Word so that he can lead and guide us as to the way we should now live and act as his people, who have been rescued from hell and given eternal life with the Almighty God himself.
Now we can give up on ourselves and our selfish ways and do the very best that we can in holding up Jesus Christ and his death on the cross as that which is of utmost importance for our whole life. We can wash our hands of the ways of our rebellious world and allow this Jesus to be the be all and end all, of all that we are and do. For after all, to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
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