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Wednesday, July 8

Power is something that everyone has. Some have more power while others have less but everyone has a certain amount of power. Parents have power, bosses have power, and people with money have power. Power comes in many forms. There is the power to serve others or to serve ourselves, the power to love, or the power to be apathetic, the power to do right or to do wrong. We all have a degree of power and we are always looking to get more of it. We might want more financial power, more power to influence, or maybe more power to achieve our dreams. However, when it comes to power the important question is not how much power we have or how much power we would like to have. The important question is: What are we doing with the power we have?

Some two thousand years ago there was a very powerful man called Pontius Pilot appointed by the Roman Emperor Tiberius to be the governor of Samaria and Judea. His main responsibilities were to collect taxes and to keep the peace. Because of the way in which Pilot used his power, it was obvious that he did not like the Jewish people. It was equally obvious that the Jewish people did not like him. However, there came a time when the Jewish leaders needed a favor from him. The Jewish leaders wanted a man who went by the name of Jesus arrested, they were calling for his execution. In order for this execution to happen, they would need Pilots approval. They brought Jesus to Pilot and after a brief conversation with Him, Pilot found no reason for Jesus to be executed. Pilot returned Jesus to the Jewish people and told them that he could not find any reason why he should approve giving Jesus a death sentence. Nonetheless, the Jews strongly insisted on a death sentence. For the Jews to insist on a death sentence for a Jewish man, caught Pilot by surprise. Pilot began to fear that a riot was about to break out and a riot could be reason enough for his dismissal from his position of power. Concerned about the harm and threat this problem could cause him, he brings Jesus back but this time to have him flogged. Flogging a person was as close as you could get to a death sentence without actually killing a person. Most people did not survive flogging. One more time, Pilot returns Jesus to the crowd, this time all bloodied, but the people were not satisfied. They did not just want Jesus flogged, hurt, wounded, or brought to the brink of death. The people wanted Jesus dead and nothing less. Yet again, Pilot is surprised by their reaction and this made him very afraid. Finally, Pilot brings Jesus back to his quarters to have another conversation with him.

John 19:8-11NIV

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above”.

Let me attempt to simplify these verses. Pilot asked Jesus, if he realized the power, he (Pilot) had. “I can have you crucified or I can set you free from these people who want you dead.” To which Jesus responds: “no Pilot it is you who does not realize that the power you have has been given to you. Pilot, you fail to realize that all power comes from God. You have not realized that power is also temporary, and Pilot I want you to know that one day you will have to give an account to God for the way in which you use the power you have.”

Just like Pilot, our power whether great or small has been given to us from above, and just like Pilot we will one day have to give an account to God for the way we used it. Perhaps you did not realize that the power you have was not merely earned it was granted to you from above and that eventually you and I will have to give an account as to how we used it. You have been given a certain amount of power. What are you doing with the power that you have? When it comes to power, this is the most important question you can ask yourself.

Power is temporary and all power is given by God and eventually we will be held accountable for how we used it.