24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. (Matthew 27)
Taking Responsibility. Sometimes responsibility is dumped in our lap when we really do not want it. Such was the case with Pilate here: he wanted nothing to do with this case. Even when he thought he had a sure solution when giving the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barrabas, the decision ended up in his hands. He tried by this act to "wash himself of all responsibility," but the bottom line is that he chose to pronounce the death sentence on Jesus. He could still be washing his hands today and yet never have gotten the blood of Jesus off them. Daily we face all kinds of choices involving responsibility. Many of these are ones we may not want, but we must decide. Sometimes even ignoring them and doing nothing is making a choice - to do nothing and claim no responsibility. But we do have responsiblity. Let us step up to it, and, by God's grace, handle it well.
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