By Emma Jean Johnson
Emma Jean Johnson is a second-year Master of Divinity candidate at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary and youth minister for the Harvest of Hope Area Catholic Community in the Avon/Albany area. She is originally from Sauk Rapids and aspires to be a hospital chaplain. This reflection was adapted from a paper she wrote for a literature class on the Gospel of John taught by Micah Kiel, associate professor of theology.
Pontius Pilate’s name rolls off our tongue each Sunday during Mass in the Nicene or Apostle’s Creed, linking him with responsibility for the death of Jesus, and all four Gospels give Pilate some “screen time” in the passion story.
The account of the passion from John’s Gospel we read on Good Friday presents a captivating and equally puzzling characterization of Pilate. Some numbers might help paint a picture: Pilate goes in and out from the praetorium six times between John 18:28 and 19:22 as he is conducting Jesus’ trial. Pilate asks 11 questions of Jesus and the Jews in that same passage, and only makes two definitive statements about himself: “I find no case against him,” repeated three times in John 18:38, 19:4, 19:6 (which is an interesting contrast with Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus right before this scene in John 18:17, 18:25 and 18:27), and: “What I have written I have written” in John 19:22.
If we imagine this scene playing out in front of us as if we were attending a theatre production, the movement of Pilate back and forth and his incessant questions as he holds the power of life and death in his hands would make our own blood pressure rise a little bit. Pilate’s turning outward by asking 11 questions rather than turning inward by making only two statements about himself and gives us the image of a restless, distressed Pilate. Pilate literally moves back and forth between the private sanctuary of the praetorium and the roaring crowd six times, his physical movement symbolizing multiple forces pulling at him as he agonizes over a life-or-death decision.
Perhaps embedded in Pilate’s agony is a warning about the fatal consequences for failed attempts at neutrality. Historically speaking, Pilate is remembered in non-biblical historical records as being a murderous and inhumane ruler and he was unashamed at desecrating humans and committing atrocities. The fact that Pilate condemned Jesus to death is one of only a few details from the Gospels that ancient, non-Christian historical records confirm.
So, why is Pilate so restless over this decision in particular? Robert Kysar, in “John: The Maverick Gospel,” writes, “It appears that the evangelist [author of John’s Gospel] did not want us to slip through the Gospel without becoming aware of how dangerous it is to try to remain neutral to this Jesus figure.” A quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu comes to mind, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” Pilate is the elephant with his foot on the tail of the mouse, Jesus, and he’s literally walking back and forth, asking as many questions as he can, unable to decide if he wants to lift his foot or move it to fully crush the mouse. The question of justice is inherently political and social here, and neutrality is not an option.
The question of faith and politics is sticky and difficult, yet we must face the fact that we speak the name of one of the most famous political figures in human history, Pilate, in the context of our most sacred liturgy each week because his political entanglement with salvation history is something we cannot ignore.
It terrifies me to realize that, if I’m really honest with myself, I might see a little bit of myself in Pilate.
I might find a willingness to let injustice thrive for the sake of not rocking the boat. To follow Jesus is an “all-in” or “all-out” commitment, not a “one foot in the door and one out” initiative. It demands everything, including a commitment to not be neutral in the face of injustice and to acknowledge that we cannot avoid politics as Christians when justice demands our involvement. Our participation in the salvific work of Jesus as followers of him might just hinge upon our commitment to justice, which often must take place in the political arena.
Photo above: Adobe Stock