Magyar Egyház, 2007 (86. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2007-07-01 / 1-2. szám

8. oldal

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

“What should I do with Jesus?”

Matthew 27:21-22

At the trial of Christ, as Pilate sat in the judgment hall, he asked one question significant beyond his understanding: “What should I do with Jesus?” It had been a troublesome question for him. He knew that the envy of the religious leaders rather than any wrongdoing of Jesus had brought this man before his judgment seat. Pilate tried his best to make somebody else answer the question. He sent Jesus to Herod, but Herod sent him back again. Pilate tried to give Jesus back to the priests, but they refused. He gave Jesus a chance to clear himself before his accusers, but he answered only with silence.

Then, as it was the custom of the feast day to release one prisoner, the governor suggested to the crowds that he would be glad to release Jesus. But they chose Barabbas instead. Pilate’s wife sent word that he was to have nothing to do with Jesus, for he was an innocent man and she had been dreaming about him. “What should I do with Jesus?” was a pressing and important question.

The crowds had one answer: “Crucify him!” When Pilate asked why Jesus should be crucified since he had done no wrong, they had no answer. They simply followed the advice sometimes given to preachers - when your point is weakest, shout the loudest - and shouted all the more: “Away with him”. That answer is always being given to “what should we do with Jesus?” Many philosophies across the years have tried to eliminate Jesus Christ from the world. Many times, the Church of Christ has appeared ready for the graveyard. But the strange thing is that Christ cannot be done away with. The crowds had their request granted or so they thought. Christ was crucified. But before the shadow of the Cross had faded away, he was back again with more power than before.

The crowds would have been surprised to know that 2000 years later, the Christian Church is so widely established. It has not always had a steady progress. There have been times when its light grew dim, but then it has emerged again and burned more brightly than before. The influence of Christ has been an ever-widening circle.

Another answer to the question “what should I do with Jesus?” was given by Pilate himself. It was: ignore him. The governor took water and washed his hands in a symbolic act before the crowd, as he said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood, see to it yourselves.” Some always try to wash their hands of any responsibility as far as Jesus is concerned and try to close their eyes to the fact that he ever existed.

This is a great danger with us. Atheism is not a popular attitude in this country; many from our population expressed belief in God. Few are violent enough to want to get rid of Jesus.

But indifference toward Christ - acting as though he never existed, ignoring the fact that the eternal God has revealed himself, washing one’s hands of any responsibility for the Church of Christ - is a prevalent attitude. Too many use some pretext, such as an enforced church attendance in childhood, to spend their maturity on a Christian sabbatical leave. Those who ignore Christ find themselves in the same condemnation as Pilate, who is chiefly remembered in the phrase of the Apostles' Creed that

Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Our Lord suffer under all who treat him with indifference.

The disciples gave another answer to the question “what should I do with Jesus?” It was not crucify him, not wash one’s hands of further responsibility, but serve him. It was a clear answer: I will believe in him, I will obey him. In the strength of the Holy Spirit, I will try to do what he taught men to do. I will proclaim that Jesus is the perfect revelation of God, sent for our guidance here and for our salvation to eternal life.

God gives each of us strength to take our stand with the answer of the disciples. Serve him! This is what you have to do with Jesus!

Jesus

In chemistry, He turned water to wine.

In biology, He was born without the normal conception;

In physics, He disapproved the law of gravity when He ascended into heaven;

In economics, He disapproved the law of diminishing return by feeding 5000 men with two fishes & 5 loaves of bread;

In medicine, He cured the sick and the blind without administering a single dose of drugs,

In history, He is the beginning and the end;

In government, He said that he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace;

In religion, He said no one comes to the Father except through him;

So? Who is He? He is Jesus!

Join me and let's celebrate him; He is worthy.

The eyes beholding this message shall not behold evil, the hand that will send this message to everybody shall not labor in vain, and the mouth saying amen to this prayer shall smile for ever. Remain in God and seek his face always. Amen!

Ft. Demeter Andor tb.püspök, Beke C.Antal egyhá:kriileli főgondnok, Ft.Szabó Sándor püspök, Ontario.CA; Ft.Vásárhelyi József a Kálvin Egyházkerület püspökhelyettese, Passaic, NJ; Ni.Fábián Lajos Ip. Vancouver.Canada; Nt.Varga Ferenc esperes, Allen Park,Ml, Kaliforniában az Ontario-i egyház, templomában 200ó november 19-én.