Pilgrim vs. Pilate

People from around the world come to Ecce Homo (“Behold the Man”) guest house (eccehomopilgrimhouse.com), to see the ancient Lithostrotos (Greek for pavement) in the basement. There is also, carved on flagstone, a game soldiers would have played with dice, maybe similar to when soldiers threw dice for Jesus’ robe.

This area may be where Jesus suffered at the hands of the Roman soldiers, and where the trial by Pontius Pilate took place. Below the guest house, there is a remnant of stone pavement which Emperor Hadrian had moved from the Antonio Fortress in 135 AD; it’s possible that Jesus walked on these very stones. The Bible says, in John 19, that after Pilate told the angry crowd that he found Jesus not guilty, “Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”

As the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate was tasked to maintain order and assure that Judea contributed to the continued success of the Roman empire. That meant balancing military control while assuring a productive economy. Prior to handing Jesus over to the chief priests and officers to be crucified, Pilate has a talk with Jesus which concludes with Pilate’s famous rhetorical question, “What is truth?” He’s so preoccupied with his responsibilities, Pilate either can’t recognize when Truth is right in front of him, or doesn’t have the courage to defend Jesus. Authors, Mike Breen and Steve Cockram, of Building a Discipleship Culture would say Pilate missed a Kairos moment, the opportunity to learn from and act on divine revelation.

Those who visit Ecce Homo don’t do so to see where Pilate once ruled. Some are tourists, but most are spiritual pilgrims wanting to experience, meditate at, and worship at the physical locations commemorating Jesus’s life, brutal death, and resurrection. They are people of faith seeking a closer relationship with God.

Since you’re reading this blog, I (Michael) assume that you understand the pilgrim attraction to Ecce Homo, and aren’t intrigued about walking where Pilate walked. However, let’s be honest — there is a little of Pilate in all of us.

I confess that when I become preoccupied with a variety of tasks, I miss or actively ignore God’s revelations to me. It’s not only the busyness of life, but personal interests and priorities promote a self-centered focus. Unfortunately, the immediacy of life creates an environment where I find it much easier to feed my inner Pilate and starve my inner Pilgrim. This is self-destructive behavior. When I don’t see Truth staring me in the face, I’ve missed a spiritual growth opportunity. Thankfully, God’s love and commitment ensure that He’ll pursue me — and you.     

I’m not necessarily suggesting we should all be doing more good deeds.  Rather, I encourage all of us to spend more time nurturing our spiritual identity by attentiveness to divine revelation. Keep these two questions in mind: What is God revealing to me? What am I going to do about it?

Feed your Pilgrim, not your Pilate.

Ecce Homo Pamplets (20 Languages)

Lithostrotos (Ancient Road)

Game Etched on Lithstrotos