Barabbas was no sneak thief. He was of the Saddam Hussein image. He was not guilty of stealing hub caps or cigarettes. He was a notorious exploiter and murderer. The crowds were adamant; they wanted Pilate to free the villain and not Jesus. They preferred the release of a killer over the Prince of Peace.
Thus, we must watch our decisions. Do we choose the murdering way or the way of peace? Do we opt to slaughter others with our Barabbas preferences or do we save others with our strong tones of mercy as Jesus did? Do we select to slay church members with our negative tongues or set the church on fire with our supportive phrases? One way is of Barabbas. The other of Jesus.
One must be attentive to the subtle Barabbas connection. We possess that ability to release into our communities the wrong influence. Which name do you consistently, freely dispense into the crowds? Jesus, you say? Ah, that's the right choice; the only good choice.
1 comment:
What helps me focus on Jesus is to understand I am Barabbas. (I, the guilty one, was freed; Jesus, the innocent one was punished.) As I, Barabbas, hear the name of Jesus the rest of my life, I am always humbled and grateful. I go everywhere telling of this Jesus--I am free because of Him. I know better than anyone that the crowds are not right in their assessment. I know better than anyone that Curt Flood family, Bill Maher (sp?), conservative elders, liberal preachers,Tulsa schools, Swindoll lunches, Rush blogs, etc are viewed through the lens of "I walked away from death row."
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