The God Pause Daily Devotional from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, November 23, 2018 - John 18:33-37John 18:33 So Pilate went back into the headquarters, called Yeshua and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Yeshua answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have other people told you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and head cohanim have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Yeshua answered, “My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.” 37 “So then,” Pilate said to him, “You are a king, after all.” Yeshua answered, “You say I am a king. The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me.” (Complete Jewish Bible).
POWER, upside down.
Today the contrast seems unavoidable. Do we think of Black Friday or Good Friday? Is it "Covet and Consume to Fill Up" or "Trust and Love so as to Let Go"?
I once lived under an earthly king in northern Cameroon. He did some good things; he held his society together. But he ruled through fear; his henchmen were everywhere. Although I lived "in" that kingdom, I was not "from" that kingdom. Still, I had to stop at their roadblocks whenever I wanted to drive home. They had enough power to murder even national assemblymen without penalty. Pilate would have understood that king--practical, powerful, asking dismissively, "What is truth?"
But Pilate could not understand Jesus--a kind of reign that was not "from" this world, a kind of reign that lived with us, suffered with us, would be reborn with us--a kind of reign that binds sisters and brothers together in love and brings forth a new world.
God's will, God's yes, God's reign--walking the earth in Jesus, and in the Spirit living in you. This is Truth.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, many kingdoms beckon my allegiance; live in me that I might live out the holy saltiness you have adopted me to be. Amen.

Ronald Jensen, '77

Retired, Austin, Minn.

John 18:33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"
35 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?"
36 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."
37 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." (New Revised Standard Version).

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