Matthew 27:11-54
What’s
it like to be a governor’s wife? Pilate’s wife might say it depends
on the assignment and the governor.
Judea
certainly wasn’t the plum assignment for a civil servant of Rome. The rocky
hills and dusty roads were remote from the flurry of parties with Senate wives.
Pilate’s lack of sympathy for the Jews and his often arrogant handling
of them, probably left his wife a virtual prisoner in the palace.
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Passover
week was always hectic — the city full of pilgrims, Pilate attending extra
judgments, troops on alert, out of town guests. When the week was over it seemed
to her like a bad dream. On this particular Passover she had a dream that brought
her face to face with Jesus Christ. Her dream about Jesus produced an appraisal
of His life and revealed an approach toward the Man of Galilee.
Jesus
is a Disturbing Man (v. 15)
“I
have suffered much over Him today in a dream.” Pilate’s wife found
Jesus to be a disturbing influence. Had guilt or fear fed this dream? Could
it have been the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus
is a disturbing man; a face-to-face encounter with Him is an unsettling experience.
He said so, “I came not to send peace but a sword’ (Matt. 10:34).
His ultimate goal is to bring us into peace with God, but conflict comes on
the way. Righteousness, love and purity always conflict with sin, hate, and
filth. We like to hear about His love but resist His law. We delight in His
joy; we balk at His judgments. We relish the privileges; we resist the responsibilities.
If you go home and sleep on it, Jesus will disturb you.
At
least, Pilate’s wife was dis-turbed. Too often Jesus and His word do not
disturb us. We grow accustomed to the face of the world and accommodate our
faith with conflicting values. Have you lost any sleep lately because of Jesus?
I haven’t, and that disturbs me.
Jesus
is a Righteous Man (v. 19)
Pilate’s
wife ventured a second appraisal of Jesus; she regarded him as a just man. “Have
nothing to do with this righteous man.” The word is not the same as Pilate
used when he said, “I find no crime in Him.” Judas came close to it
in his suicide note, “I have betrayed innocent blood.”