Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?

 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled. 

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

- Mark 15:1-11

Yesterday we read that as Peter was below in the courtyard of the high priest (while Jesus was on trial inside), one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.
 
 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.  Jesus is led to Pilate.  Notably, this is done in the morning, which indicates that His trial before the Sanhedrin took place through the night, another violation of the Jewish law.  But Pilate is the Roman governor, and under Roman occupation, it is not possible for the Sanhedrin to carry out the death penalty for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16).  Therefore, a sentence of death had to be issued by Pilate.  Blasphemy, however, is not a crime under Roman Law.  Therefore Pilate asks, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  It is possible to make political charges against Jesus, accusing Him of making Himself a worldly king, which is treasonous under the rule of Caesar.  My study bible tells us that the fact that Jesus answered nothing fulfills the prophesy of Isaiah 53:7 which portrays the Messiah being silent as He is led "as a sheep to the slaughter."

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.  Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent, and that He's being handed over because of envy.  (Whatever Pilate understands of the affairs of the Jews, he is a political man, and understands political manipulation and motivations.)  See also John 18:38, 19:4-6.  Pilate turns to the crowd for support, hoping they will ask for Jesus, my study bible says, in spite of the chief priests.  In another twist of the time, Barabbas means "son of the father."  So the crowds must choose between one Son of the Father and the other.  The chief priests, by pushing the crowd to choose Barabbas, indicate they have made a choice to which father they belong (see John 8:44). 

 One of the ways in which we understand lies (and lying characterizes the devil or evil) is that lies come in half-truths.  In fact, according to a book about the Holy Spirit called The Giver of Life, by Fr. John W. Oliver, is that one strategy of "the evil one" is to whisper to us half-truths about ourselves.  These come in forms of feelings with messages like "you're worthless," or "you can't be forgiven," "you're a fraud," "no one likes you."  There might be something sort of true about them:  perhaps you've done something that wasn't up to a standard you'd like, or there are people who don't like you, or compared to Christ Himself you may feel your worth or authenticity is deeply wanting.  But none of these statements are in fact true (and the Holy Spirit, as Spirit of truth, is there to tell you so -- see John 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:13).  Fr. Oliver writes of a man who suffered an extremely debilitating depression due to such thoughts, who finally realized what tone of voice seemed to be behind each one of them.  In today's reading, we have this tremendous example of half-truth.  That is, something that seems to be true, and seems to mirror truth, but is in fact delusion.  That is the name of Barabbas, meaning "son of the father," which misleads away from the true Son of the Father who stands before the crowd.  That same hatred that seems to work irrationally to stir stir the crowd gives a tone to this scene; it goes beyond whatever possible crime Jesus may or may not have committed.  It tells us something about the time and about what is going on here.  An irrational hatred and loathing is a sign of something amiss, a time gone awry, where our own emotions or those put on view can't necessarily be trusted.  It's a time of danger, in which people can be stirred to all kinds of conclusions and false persecutions, a time for withdrawal into prayer for wisdom to prevail.  This works on the deepest and most personal private levels within us, and we can also see it at work in scenes like this one.  That Barabbas is a political man, so to speak, also tells us about our preferences for expediency and manipulation over the sometimes subtle and quite difficult work of spiritual discernment, requiring patience and a kind of strength that prevails despite whatever is swaying us one way and another.  But that is the kind of strength one needs to fight depression, or the times when everybody else seems to losing their heads.  We're always going to be up against half-truths in one form or another.  Any form of addiction is going to give us persuasive feelings about what seems like a good idea, and there are myriad other ways in which we're tempted and snared to find something that sounds good and quick and expedient, but isn't going to work out so well for us.  Wisdom is a tough road, a long haul.  It needs patience and humility and forbearance.  But we've got to remember the half-truths, and that sticking with the long haul and the complexity and depth of wisdom -- and the time it takes for discernment, even living with uncertainty -- is the fastest and most efficient route after all.