Here’s what we know in the way of background information:
Pontius Pilate was the Governor of Judea and Jerusalem for ten years.
Remember, Jesus was a Galilean, he was not a Judean, and definitely not from Jerusalem.
Pontius Pilate ruled and reigned from the years 26-36 in the Common Era.
History records that there were 32 major uprisings or riots in that region during those ten years of his reign.
We know further that the Jews obviously hated the Roman occupation of their lands. They hated paying tribute or enforced taxes to Rome. They also hated the Roman insensitivity to their religion and to their religious beliefs.
Pontius Pilate was ultimately removed from his office after ten years of service because of his “brutal handling” of those riots and uprisings.
Pilate either borrowed or indirectly stole money from the Temple Treasury in Jerusalem in order to build a pipeline (or an aqueduct) to bring in fresh water into the city of Jerusalem.
This was the chief reason – for at least “some of the riots.”
At one juncture, Pilate ordered his soldiers to dress up as “plain-clothed men” and secretly to “arm themselves” and to mingle with the rioting mobs.
When a signal was given, these Roman soldiers (dressed as civilians) bludgeoned the Jews with their weapons, clubbing and stabbing them to death in the streets.
You could not put anything past Pilate.
He executed people easily and often. So it came as no surprise – that he would mingle people’s sacrifices in the Temple with their very own human blood. Such was his brutality.
It was seen as typical behavior for a hated-despised “royal governor.” It was par for the course. Pilate was a wild-card. He was fanatical. Is it any wonder that his name still lives on – weekly in the memory of the creeds of the church? He was that notorious! So that, “in part” – is some “major” background to our text.
The other necessary background information – has to do with “Deuteronomistic Theology.” It is just a “fancy-big-fifty-cent-theological-word.” Nothing scary… It comes from the book of Deuteronomy the fifth book of the Law of Moses…the fifth book of the Torah or Pentateuch.
As every confirmand “should know,” there is something called the “Deuteronomic Cycle.” It is an “if”/ “then” clause. “If” you are good, “then,” God will bless you.
“If” you are bad, then, God will get you!”
The common belief of the time was: “if” Israel did right, things all would go well, and “if” Israel did not do right, then, tragedy would no doubt ensue.
This common belief worked well for the people. It answered all kinds of questions.
This thinking also worked on both a “national level” – and on a “personal level” – at the same time.
Biblical belief at the time said, “Bad things do not happen to good people.”
Bad things only happen to bad people. They deserve what they get. They have it coming. They did something to deserve it, and if not them, then their fathers or perhaps their fathers’ fathers.
Therefore, nothing is random, ever.
Everything that happens – happens for a reason.
What did I do, to deserve this?
This thinking is still with us today.
It was a “certainty principle.” Bad things only happened to bad people and good people only received blessing upon blessing. It was certain…and could be counted on….
Blame the victim – is what this kind of thinking is. Re-victimize the victim.
What did I do?
This is stinking thinking. Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, it did not apply…and yet, people still persist in thinking it does.
Bad stuff happens. Bad stuff happens to even good people. Some things are just random. Some things are accidental. Chaos sometimes raises its head and reigns. There is not an answer to our every question or to our every inquiry. Mysteries still exist. There are questions without answers.
Jesus rejected this Deuteronomistic line of belief. It was garbage then, it is garbage now.
But still for whatever reason we hang on to it. We find comfort in it. It is a certainty. It answers our “unanswerable questions.” There is a reason for everything…or so we want to believe…even if it is all garbage…