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Gospel: John 18:33-37
Pilate said to Jesus,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?”
Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”
So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What do major companies like Dunkin’ Donuts and Apple have in common?
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They have mission statements.
For example, the mission statement of Dunkin’ Donuts is, “to make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts.”
If you believe them, then you buy their coffee and donuts.
The mission of Apple is, “to design the best personal computers in the world.”
If you believe them, then you buy their products.
We here at St. Pius X have our own mission statement: “Building Community. Worshipping God. Making Disciples.”
As we continue doing these things well, word will spread, and our parish will continue to grow as people believe in our mission.
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Jesus has a mission statement, too. In today’s Gospel, he tells us, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”
Do we believe him? Does Christ reveal the mind and the heart of God?
If he does, then everything in our lives changes.
But this is a question that everyone must answer for themselves – the powerful, the poor, the ordinary, kings and queens, even Pontius Pilate, whom we encounter in today’s Gospel.
Does Jesus testify to the truth?
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Pilate must answer this question under immense pressure.
The religious authorities have arrested Jesus and brought him before Pilate, demanding that Pilate execute him.
Though this is the first time that Jesus and Pilate have met, Pilate has heard of Jesus before.
He knows that Jesus has developed a following over the last three years through his preaching, his concern for the poor, his forgiveness of sinners, and his performance of miracles.
Still, Pilate remains undecided about who Jesus is. Is he some strange, earthly king? Is he a prophet? Is he something more, perhaps even God in the flesh?
Pilate reveals his uncertainty by oscillating back and forth between Jesus and the crowds seven different times. He’s so torn that he turns to Jesus, asking him, “What is truth?”
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Pilate’s decision will determine his future.
The crowds want Jesus dead. If Pilate frees Jesus, then the crowds will storm his palace, causing a riot to ensue.
But if Pilate hands Jesus over, then he’ll be sentencing an innocent man – even God – to death.
Believing in Jesus as the Truth will cost Pilate everything – his position, his power, and possibly his life. Is it worth it?
Ironically enough, Jesus preached about this very dilemma during his public ministry: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”
What does it profit Pilate to remain in power for a few more years, if he loses his place in Christ’s kingdom?
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If only it were so easy to believe and to follow the truth.
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Pilate represents where so many people in our world find themselves today: soul searching, seeking, wondering, “What is truth?”
It’s normal to question. I’m sure many of us have wondered at some point: “What is truth? Is there a God? Is Jesus he?”
I think of our young people, in particular. Hasn’t every parent had a child ask them a hard question about God. “Mom, if God exists, then why does he allow bad things to happen?” … “Dad, how did God become a baby at Christmas?”
Even if we don’t have the answer to all of their questions – or even to our own – at some point, we all have to step out onto the water, as it were, and make that fundamental decision of whether or not to believe in Jesus as the Truth.
That decision – whether we accept him or reject him – shapes the rest of our lives, much as it did for Pontius Pilate.
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So, what do major companies like Dunkin’ Donuts and Apple have in common?
They have mission statements. They tell us what they offer and why. If we believe them, then we buy their products.
Similarly, Jesus tells us his mission statement: “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”
It is our mission here at Saint Pius X to deepen our faith in Jesus and to shape our lives around the truth he reveals.
While that may be a life-long journey, we will all do it together.
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Image credits: (1) (2) Brian Zahnd (3) Rambling Ever On (4) YouTube, St. Pius X Old Tappan