Luke 23:13-25
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
As we continue journeying with Jesus through the hours before his execution, read Luke 23:1-12 and then continue reading all the way to verse 25 imagining that you are there observing and listening.
Pilate makes no less than three pronouncements of Jesus’ innocence before he finally yields to the demands of the crowd. The hatred and anger of the religious leaders has transformed them into a mob, and the mob wants blood.
Among the religious men in the crazed mob, there must be at least a few who are usually more reasonable. They may have even taken on their positions of authority with good motives. But in this moment, there is no individual rationale for the priests and other religious authorities – Pilate is the only one who can still see the truth of the situation.
As humans, we are powerfully influenced by the relationships in our lives and the culture in which we dwell. These forces tend to subtly shape the way we think - though we are mostly unaware this is happening.
Stop for a moment and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit with you now. Ask the Spirit to guide you as you assess the influences that are shaping your thinking. As thoughts come to mind, notice any feelings that arise. Share all of this openly with Jesus.
Read Luke 23:1-25 again.
All of the people in this blood-thirsty mob most likely had the opportunity to hear Jesus teach at one time or another. They could have opened their ears and their hearts, and they could have allowed Jesus to peel back their faulty paradigms and lead them to life the way God intended it. But they valued their traditions, positions, and social standing more than they valued truth.
For the rest of your time in meditation today, contemplate the words of Paul and the words of David below. Use them as a springboard for listening to Jesus.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” – Psalm 139:23-24
What might Jesus want you to reconsider or do today?
Will you?
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