Steady Crescendo of Hostility

So, this picture has nothing to do with the devotional, because
I don't have pictures of hostility. However, there are days
that Sally the Dog just cracks me up. She was resting like this!

Scripture:

Luke 23:1   Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. ² They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”^{a  3} Then Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered, “You say so.” ⁴ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.” ⁵ But they were insistent and said, “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.”

Observation:

The second trial occurred before Pilate. The hostility of the Jewish religious leaders continued to grow with each and every moment. Wanting their own way with Jesus, the Sanhedrin leveled three charges against Jesus that they hoped would persuade the governing authority. They argued that Jesus was perverting the nation, preventing people from paying their tribute taxes, and declaring that he is a king. If true, all of these would be have been a threat to the government, therefore these charges were couched in a way in which to curry the support of Pilate. Unfortunately for them, it all backfired when they were unable to prove their case and Pilate was left saying “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”  

Joel Green comments, “Thus begins the steady crescendo of hostility toward Jesus” (NICNT). The Jewish leaders were worked into a frenzy when they didn’t get what they wanted. They began to incite the crowd while at the same time, arguing with Pilate. What becomes more and more clear in Luke’s gospel is that Jesus is not the one leading the people astray, nor stirring up the crowds, but the Jewish leaders themselves. 

Application:

When the religious leaders don’t get what they want, they seem to lose any capacity to be rational. At the end of the day, they want to be rid of Jesus, and they are ready to have this accomplished, no matter the cost. Their emotions get the best of them and the crescendo of hostility begins. 

This crescendo of hostility can be seen in our own lives, and not only in regard to the Lord. Sadly, this is what can happen in relationships in which we refuse to see one another for who we really are. It’s why marriages fail, and friendships are destroyed. It also leads to the corruption of our Christian witness in the world. 

Note that early on in Luke, the Jewish leaders were cordial toward Jesus. Being cordial with one another is usually easy when we don’t know much about one another. It’s when we begin to really know one another that we learn how to touch a nerve. 

The religious leaders were looking for.a particular type of Messiah, and Jesus was not what they wanted. While he offered them the greatest gift they could have imagined, they rejected him because he didn’t fit their paradigm. We reject people when they don’t fit into our ideal vision of who or what we want them to be. Instead of gleaning all that we can from the relationship, we reject some people out of hand, and never discover the diamond in the rough. 

Even in marriage, it’s easy to give up when a spouse doesn’t live up to the vision we had of them. Over time, as we go through life’s ups and downs, we are shaped and molded by one another, and if we fail to give it time, we will miss out on the beauty that God has intended. Instead, the hostility ramps up, and we get irritated with each and every little thing that the other person does. Somehow the steady crescendo takes you from the crush of love to hostility. Then, it’s time to stir up the crowd and take sides. 

The steady crescendo of hostility has led to the destruction of our Christian witness in the world. Christians fighting and arguing with other Christians only leaves the world shaking their heads and wondering what it is that we believe. Christians who can’t learn to work with one another and friendships that fail have nothing in common with the witness to the world that cries out, “see how they love one another.” Instead of a steady crescendo of hostility there is to be a mighty chorus of holiness, one that builds on the beautiful tones and notes of God’s grace. 

Prayer:

Lord, may the music of my life sing out through your holy love. Amen.