john 1: 43-51 - just 2 sentences

43 qThe next day Jesus decided rto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now sPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found tNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom uMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus vof Nazareth, wthe son of Joseph.”46 Nathanael said to him, x“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, yan Israelite indeed, zin whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How ado you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”49 Nathanael answered him, b“Rabbi, cyou are the Son of God! You are the dKing of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,1 you will see eheaven opened, and fthe angels of God ascending and descending on gthe Son of Man.” 

o Lord, help me to have the faith of Nathaniel, who spoke his mind and yet humbly accepted You as Messiah when You revealed Your Glory! May I see "greater things than these·" amen

Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-5 - Missing the Point

At that time, Jesus was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch it out," and his hand was restored.

Sometimes Missing the Point can be Dangerous! 

An Apple A Day... by ~KoorimeYume on deviantART  

 The Pharisees really knew the Law.  The were experts on what God did and did not allow.  They were also first in line to accuse someone of breaking God's Law and, in thinking they were being Faithful to God's command, they were missing what God wanted altogether.  Jesus, of course, knew the Law, too and He was faithful to adhere to it. But He also knew the purpose of the Law and knew that Man, made in the Image of God, is what is most important in the Heart of God, not His ceremonial Laws.

The Ceremonial Laws were made to help the people of Israel remember that they were to be a separate and holy people.  But God is all about Love.  So if His disciples are very hungry on the Sabbath day, He lets them "work" by plucking grain to eat.  If a man has a withered hand which he cannot straighten out, Jesus doesn't wait till the Sabbath is over to show His Love through healing.  The Pharisees missed the work of God in their midst and instead of marveling at the healing,they were scandalized by it.  How foolish and hard their hearts were.

O Lord, I do not wish to grieve the heart of Jesus by my hardness of heart.  Help me to understand in all my dealings with my neighbor that I am to show Love first. If they are breaking God's Laws or even my own personal laws, help me to display the Love of God to them and not become judgmental   For surely judgment is Your job and not mine. Help me not to miss the point...and that point is Love. Amen

Isaiah 3:1-14 - Enjoy the fruit of your deeds

For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water; the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms. And I will make boys their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people will oppress one another, every man his fellow and every man his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the base fellow to the honorable.
When a man takes hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying: "You have a mantle; you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins shall be under your rule"; in that day he will speak out, saying: "I will not be a healer; in my house there is neither bread nor mantle; you shall not make me leader of the people." For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen; because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence.
Their partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom, they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil upon themselves. Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have done shall be done to him. My people -- children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths.
The Lord has taken his place to contend, he stands to judge his people. The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: "It is you who have devoured the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses."

Enjoy fruit!
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The Lord predicts horrible things for His people, that is, His people who have turned away from Him. Yet in the midst of this description of bad tidings for those who will not follow Him, the Lord offers a word of  hope to those who remain faithful.  "Tell the righteous  that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds." This promise gives me great hope in troubled times. It also reminds me to be faithful and my faithfulness will result in good deeds.

I do not want to be like the arrogant who parade their sin around like was done in Sodom.  Is that not what is happening today? Instead of hiding their deeds in shame, they celebrate their sin and call it good.

Lord, as I witness the deterioration around me, help me to remain faithful to Your Word. Amen.

Isaiah 2:11-21- Pride as tall as the Trees

 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed 

             down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

For the day of the Lord of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up – And it shall be brought low –

Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, And upon all the oaks of Bashan;

Upon all the high mountains, And upon all the hills that are lifted up;

Upon every high tower, And upon every fortified wall;

Upon all the ships of Tarshish, And upon all the beautiful sloops.

The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The Lord alone will be exalted in that day,

But the idols He shall utterly abolish.

They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats,

To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

A Tall Tree!
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A day is coming when the Lord alone will be exalted.  Now, man's arrogance is as tall the trees, as high as the mountains and as sturdy as well built ship but the day is coming when all will realize the Supremacy of the Lord.  In that day, those idols that man has made for himself will be a cause of great shame him.  He will cast them away and try to find a hiding place from the Lord.  But such Scampering will be useless for we all must face Him with Whom we have to do. 

I profess Christ but I wonder, is my pride as tall as the trees, as high as the mountains or as sturdy as a well built ship?  Do I only pretend dependency upon God and then, in my pride, go around as if I were my own lord?  Everyday, I must renew my commitment to the Lord, remembering my station.  He is Lord and I am servant.  He is high and exalted and, I, though in His Image, am lowly. He will raise me up with Him but I must be made low.  

Be happy, o my soul, for your Lord is exalted in the Heavens! He alone High and lifted up. The arrogance of the proud will be brought low and the lowly servants of God will be exalted in Christ. The Lord has done this and this is marvelous in our eyes! Amen.

Isaiah 2:3-11 - Don't be the World's Doppelganger

Thus say the people: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
For thou hast rejected thy people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of diviners from the east and of soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with foreigners. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. So man is humbled, and men are brought low -- forgive them not! Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty. The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

doppelganger by ~sethlamden on deviantART 

The house of Jacob, Israel - God's own people - have struck a deal with foreigners  that is, those whom reject the Lord. There is no difference between Israel and Philistia.  Both have soothsayers, both are prosperous and feel they have no need of God, both always make ready for war and both are full of arrogance, as they fall before idols.  Yet, the Lord along, in that day, will be exalted.

God calls His people to humility. He beckons His own not to be like those around Him.  Rather, as the law goes forth out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem, we should walk in the light of the Lord.  It is in returning to Christ, each and every day, that I will not be found with those who hide their face from the Lord when He comes in the glory of His majesty.

O my soul, forsake the Philistines! For they know nothing of the Lord and yet, and their haughtiness will be brought low. Rather, this day, let me humbly walk in the light of the Lord. Amen.

Isaiah 1:19-2:3 - Take the Right Path

"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
How the faithful city has become a harlot, she that was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Every one loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them.
Therefore the Lord says, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will vent my wrath on my enemies, and avenge myself on my foes. I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."
Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. For you shall be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted; and you shall blush for the gardens which you have chosen. For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. And the strong shall become tow, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.
The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Follow the path by ~Apolic on deviantART 

God lays two paths before me.  One of obedience and one of self-will. Obedience to Him will yield blessing but choosing the rebel path will be my soul's destruction.  The Lord laments when His once faithful people turn into a spiritual harlot. And how He calls us all to repentance. The Lord promises to restore us to our once Faithful status. And when that happens, we will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.

O Lord, lead me to Your mountain, to your House will You can teach me Your ways.  If I humbly ask, The Lord will instruct me in His precepts and I can walk in His paths.  This prayer must be said, moment by moment for at ever turn, we are tempted to take the wrong path- to gossip about our neighbor, to think ill of those who mistreat us, to walk in the ways of sin.  Happy is the man who takes the right path.

Lead me there, I pray, O Lord and teach me Your ways. Amen.

Proverbs 1:1-20 - Don't be a Fool!

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 

That men may know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight, receive instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; that prudence may be given to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth -- the wise man also may hear and increase in learning, and the man of understanding acquire skill, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching; for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us wantonly ambush the innocent; like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with spoil; throw in your lot among us, we will all have one purse" -- my son, do not walk in the way with them, hold back your foot from their paths; for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird; but these men lie in wait for their own blood, they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of all who get gain by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the markets she raises her voice.

A Medieval Fool; not a job I'd like!
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Solomon, a man who prayed for Wisdom from God, begins his writings by telling us that The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  Those who want to know true wisdom, to have understanding in matters that are really important, know that the place to start is in Awe and Reverence for the Lord. In contrast to that, there is the fool, who despises wisdom and instruction.  The fool, who rejects God and only sees the immediate gain, does not know he is responsible for his own destruction.  While the fool makes plans on how to defraud his neighbor- looking only to his own interests,- the one who would live in the Kingdom stands in awe of God.

Are fools trying to entice me to shed innocent blood? No, not really.  But I must be on guard not to follow the fool who would lead me from the Fear of the Lord. A blatant temptation to leave Christ is something I surely would recognize but are there not more subtle temptations I must be on guard against? I would quickly eschew any notion of denying Christ before men but do I deny him in other ways? By being silent when I should speak or speaking when I should be silent?   Do I not do violence to my own soul when I follow the fool as he ignores God?

O Lord, help me to be diligent in the Fear of the Lord. For by standing in awe of You, I gain understanding and wisdom.  And the wisdom I want is knowledge of the Lord. Amen.

Matthew 6:14-21 - Better than Money!

The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

MONEY! MONEY MONEY!
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Where is my treasure? Am I someone who works only for acquiring money so that I can have a "nest egg" in the bank, with some extra cash for buying "things?" Do I spend my time and energy worrying about my house, my job and all my bills? What is it that I value most? How do I spend my time? For surely, it is how I spend my time that reveals what it is that I treasure.

If I say I value the Kingdom of God above all else than my life better show it.   That would mean I place a premium on attending Church, reading the Sacred Scriptures and praying.  That means, my time on the computer should not be spent in frivolous (or worse) sinful, pursuits. My thoughts and imaginations should be turned to Christ, who is my True Treasure!

O Lord, help me to remember what it is that I truly value.  This world will pass away but You and Your Word, stands forever. May I work for that which is eternal and put to death that which corrupts.  Thieves may break in and steal all I have but they cannot take You from my heart. May you reign there always. Amen.

Matthew 6:1-13 - Do the Right Thing, Rightly!

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Not exactly praying in secret
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Jesus wants us to do the right thing for the right reason.  The hypocrites He talks about are doing the right thing. It is a good thing to give to the poor or give to the Church. It is a good thing to be in prayer to our Father in Heaven.  But if our motivation in doing these things is so others will think we are really great people then we will receive no reward from God.  Our reward would be to have the praise of men and since that is what we would be striving for then, when we receive it, that's all we get.

How much better to give alms in secret- telling no one as you mail a check to a relief organization or quietly hand some money to a homeless person on the street.  Far superior is it to pray when no one else is around, in a room with the door closed than to stand on street corners (which I have seen).  Happy is the one who offers humble prayers during a "prayer breakfast" at church than the one who carefully crafts his words to sound spiritual to his friends.

O Lord, keep me humble for I do not want to be like the hypocrites who do all manner of good things for the wrong reasons.  Help me to seek my reward from You.  Like the publican who stood in the back of the synagogue and dared not even look up to heaven, may my prayers and acts of giving be done with a modest spirit. Amen.

Just a note about the "Vain Repetition" mentioned by Jesus. It has been quoted for years as a reason not to prayer printed prayers but Jesus isn't saying that all our prayers must be spontaneous and in our own words. Indeed, Jesus in instructing us to pray, tells us to "pray like this" and then He gives us the words to actually say.  And should be not pray the Psalms? Yes, God listens to us when we talk to Him in our own words but sometimes our own words just aren't as good as others.

Zechariah 8:19-23 - A Cause of Joy!

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I am going.' Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

Nothing says Joy like a smile!
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In this passage, the prophet says our fasts, that is, our ascetical struggles, will be for us a time of joy and gladness.  Fasting, a time of limiting our food and increasing our prayer, will be as a feast for us. Why? Because in these struggles, we grow closer to Christ.  In our self-denial, we tend to our souls. And being in proximity to Christ will bring nothing but gladness. Surely, as lent approaches (that is, for those in the Eastern Church), this is a great thing to remember! Any self-denial, for the sake of the soul, brings joy.

St Athanasius commented on this verse and saidthe Lord is the Feast spoken of and, unlike the heathen feasts which  portray the despicable acts of death and hell, those who feast in the Lord participate in a  display of Virtue. So by our Fasts we display the Lord.  And this is seen by others, who, seeing our joy take the hold of the robe...saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heart that God is with you.

Be of good cheer, O my soul, and embrace the fast.  For those who struggle to know Christ, will.
Amen.

Luke 23:1-31, 33, 44-56 - Two Men who failed

At that time, the chief priests, the scribes, and elders of the people brought Jesus before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king." And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." And Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no crime in this man." But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place."When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length; but he made no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then, arraying him in gorgeous apparel, he sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him; neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Behold, nothing deserving death has been done by him; I will therefore chastise him and release him."But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas" -- a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus; but they shouted out, "Crucify, crucify him!" A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no crime deserving death; I will therefore chastise him and release him." But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, "Certainly this man was innocent!" And all the multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things.Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid; then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

One of two men who failed that day. 

Pontius Pilate by ~Psee on deviantART

Jesus was hated by the chief priests which is why they brought Him to Pilate, in the hopes of having Him crucified. Pilate, who possessed Roman sensibilities, especially when it came to Roman law, could find nothing deserving in Jesus that would merit death.  But instead of releasing Jesus, he pushed Him off to Herod. Pilate wanted to do the easiest, most convenient thing. Herod was excited to see Jesus. Perhaps, he thought, Jesus would perform some great miracle (and, thus be a source of entertainment for his court). Jesus of course, would not perform a miracle as entertainment. And, Herod, after mocking Jesus' Kingship by placing fine robes on Him, did not release Him since He clearly was guilty of no crimes but instead pushed Him back to Pilate.

Both men did not want to deal with Jesus.  Both men, seeing an innocent Man before them  failed in doing the right thing. They wanted to put off and ignore this Jesus that stood before them.  Yet, Jesus leaves us no option for that.  Jesus cannot be ignored. In our lives, we may try to delay dealing with Him but, sooner or later, it will come to a head and, we will deal with Him, either as a compassionate Savior from whom we plead for Mercy which He longs to give or as a Judge Who will confirm in us our choice of rejecting Him.
The choice is ours and His will for us in that choice is for us to plead mercy.

Do I reject Christ by my actions? Am I like Pilate, pushing Jesus off for today and living my own life? Am I like Herod, thinking Jesus is just some plaything who can entertain me instead of the Lord of Glory? How do I live my life? At the end of the above narrative  Joseph of Arimathea, stood before Pilate, risking his life and reputation, and asked for the body of Jesus.  Joseph had dealt correctly with Jesus. Joseph knew Him to be the Lord. May I make Jesus Lord of my life this very day. Amen.