Pondering Pontius Pilate

What I have written, I have written.
Pontius Pilate, John, 19:22

The Oracle of Ottawa has always been fascinated by Pontius Pilate; as a man and a civil servant and of course, of the role he played in the death of Jesus Christ. Unknown to most people, Pontius Pilate came from a very good and noble Roman Family, The Pontii's. He was of the Equestrian Order, that is of the second highest tier of Roman society. He no doubt busted his chops in the Roman Legions. He, also, in all probability, traveled near and far in the service of his emperor and his empire.

Ecce Homo...

Now the one thing that has always made the Oracle of Ottawa wonder is what did he do to get a crap posting to the Roman Province of Judea? Was it the head stand over the head table punch bowl at some Senator's daughters wedding in Rome, while he was home on leave from his Legion? Such actions in the beginning of a career can have long and devastating consequences as we all know. Such a question, and the answer to it are lost in the mauzy fogs of history.

Now just at the time that Pontius Pilate was posted to Judea as prefect (26CE-36CE), the Roman Empire was approaching its greatest extent. Practically the whole known world was under the governance of the Roman Empire. Ponder that! No internet, no telegraph, no printing and yet the last remanent of the Roman Empire did not die until 1453CE  with the fall of Constantinople! It has to be obvious to the modern person of today that the Romans had something going on.

Pilate Stone - Pilate was a real man...

 With all this in mind, and the fact that the "thinking about thinking" project reading has lead the Oracle of Ottawa to reread the New Testament, again, it was with a startling revelation upon reading the introductory quote of this piece that the Oracle of Ottawa totally understands the role that Pilate played in the fulfillment of ancient scripture and in turn the creation of the new covenant as fulfilled by God's only Son. The Oracle of Ottawa realized that at the end of the Passion of Christ, that Pontius Pilate was converted! And he successfully fulfilled his destiny as the vessel to whom ancient prophecy called.

We know from the Gospel of Matthew that Pilates wife  dreamt of the coming troubles that Jesus Christ would bring upon her house and her husband. And it all came to unfold as intense experiences do, in a very fast blur indeed. If a person is very well versed in the history of the time and all the constraints that Pilate was operating under, he proved to be in the end, a very ethical man indeed. He was sitting on a rather explosive situation. He only had about 3,000 centurions at hand. If an insurrection had of broken out, all of Judea would have went up in a fireball! Pontius Pilate was between a rock and very hard place.

The Oracle of Ottawa has often tried to imagine what it would have been really like to be on the ground at this momentus time. For a real exercise in leadership and management procedures try to imagine what it would have been like from Pilates toga and sandals! But upon reflection he seems to have taken the advice of Jesus himself. Pontius Pilate rendered unto Caesar what was Caesar's and rendered unto God what was God's...

Pilate with his hands full. What would you have done?