While the person and acts of Pontius Pilate are fresh in everyone’s minds, let me pass along an interesting observation from Pope Benedict.  John’s Gospel makes abundantly clear that Pilate did not see guilt in Jesus (at least at the Roman level) – but he did make one fatal flaw, which ultimately forced him to crucify Jesus against his will.  (This is subtle.)  In an attempt to release Jesus, he offered him up to the crowd (alongside Barabbas), assuming the crowd would opt to release Jesus.  But in doing so, he (essentially) declared Jesus guilty.  You can only offer amnesty to someone who is guilty, right?  Once the vocal crowd of Barabbas supporters chose their violent leader — leaving Jesus behind — Pilate was left to deal with his own subtle and unspoken ‘guilty’ verdict.

So…in light of that striking observation by Pope Benedict, what do I personally take away from the story?  Always forgive.  Right away, and completely.  Never let yourself be put in the (false) position that Pilate found himself in.  (Note: Practicing forgiveness, especially in the face of another person’s intentional infliction of harm, does not mean that you should lay yourself open to further intentional abuse in the future.  Always protect yourself.  It simply means that you do not let yourself be swallowed up in years of bitterness for an event in the past.)

Forgiveness is good ‘all around’, there is simply no ‘bad’ part to forgiveness.  It not only always frees you, but could also prevent the unjust punishment of someone else that we have mistakenly ‘presumed guilty’.  (Don’t get stuck like Pilate!)

Peace,
Greg