John 18:33-37 Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Reflection Pilate works as a procurate (advocate or mouth-piece) for King Herod. If Jesus claims to be a king this poses a threat to the sovereignty of Herod which is intolerable. But there is a peculiar twist, it is not the King’s Roman subjects who bring Jesus to Pilate. It is the punctilious religious Jews who are convicting Jesus. Surely Pilate is scratching his head and wondering, “Am I facing a volatile political situation, or not?” Can you feel his frustration, “Just tell me, are you or are are you not a King?”
Meanwhile Jesus must be thinking, “This issue about being a king is of no interest to me. What I care about is truth. People who are interested in truth listen to my voice, believe what I say. It has nothing to do with being a king.” And so, as do all wisdom teachers operating from an entirely different level of consciousness than Pilate, Jesus offers a confounding response, “My kingdom is not of this world” which of course crosses Pilate’s eyes and flies right above his head.
Here is the thing. When people truly listen to Jesus they recognize something deeply true within themselves, something that eludes their intellect as well as their social and political posturing for security, safety, esteem, power and control. When people listen to the words of Jesus they recognize something true, something that resonates deep inside them.
No doubt you have had this experience. That time you knew that you knew that you knew something was true even though you could not say why or make a rational argument for it. You knew you were in love? You knew it was time to change jobs or careers? You knew you had to call a friend? You knew something was going on? You read a sentence in a book or scripture and knew that it was true? This is knowing that exceeds our intellect. It is the kind of knowing experienced when we put our heads in our hearts.
We hear Jesus’ voice when we plant our intellect in our hearts because rather than issuing kingly policies and employing procurates like Pilate to insure their edicts are followed, Jesus speaks the mysterious language of wisdom rendered from the heart. Jesus’ humble presence and peaceful actions do not demand attention nor wield threats to any who fail to follow. Jesus lives truth, reveals truth and is available to any who are attracted to truth.
Which brings us to what is arguably the most famous of Pilate’s questions, “So, what is truth?” (18.38) I believe truth is Divine Presence dwelling as our core, available in every breath when we put our heads in or hearts.
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