Washing our hands is important.  If we are conscientious about it we’ll do it several times during the day.  I picture a surgeon scrubbing down before an operation.  We should all be glad that he or she goes to the extent they do to make sure their hands are clean.  That’s pretty important when they have their hands inside of you.

            There’s an old expression we use from time to time that says, “I’m going to wash my hands of this.”  It means that we don’t want to be involved in whatever it is anymore.  What we’re actually saying is that “I’m going to quit.  I’m not responsible anymore.” 

We get that expression from what Pilate did in his role in the incident of the crucifixion of Jesus.  He found himself in a tough spot.  The night before his wife had dreamed about it.  She had warned him not to get involved.  But he found himself without a choice and in a no-win situation.  He had questioned Jesus for himself.  He couldn’t find anything that He had done to be worthy of death.  The Jewish leaders had produced false witnesses saying that Jesus had broken Jewish laws, but they couldn’t agree.  He tried to free Jesus.  When the Jewish leaders warned that they would take the matter to Caesar he knew that he couldn’t go against them.  Doing so would get him into trouble with the Roman Government.  According to history he had been in trouble before and he felt his own position and possibly his life were at stake if the Roman Government got involved.

Then he remembered that it was customary to offer to release a prisoner at the Jewish Passover.  He picked the most brutal man in custody to go out before the people.  So he told them, “I’m going to release a prisoner to you.  It is your choice:  Jesus or Barabbas?”  In his mind he couldn’t comprehend the people wanting Barabbas back on the streets because he was a thief and murderer.  Surely they would pick Jesus.  But they didn’t.  Isn’t curious that the Jewish leaders hated Jesus so much that they were willing to take their chances with Barabbas once again running free in order to have Jesus executed?

Finally Pilate saw no other way out.  He had his servants bring a dish of water and in front of all the people he washed his hands saying, “I have no part in this matter.  Take Him and do as you wish.”

Today thousands are in the same position Pilate found himself.  They can’t really find fault in Jesus but because of sin in their lives, an unwillingness to accept the truth, and seeing no other recourse they simply say, “Do with Jesus as you wish.”  What we don’t realize is that there are only two choices.  We too face the decision of releasing Barabbas or Jesus in our lives.  When we wash our hands of the matter in essence we have chosen Barabbas.

What about Christians?  Do we also find ourselves faced with such decisions?  We have already chosen Jesus as the King of our lives.  We have accepted Christ as our Savior.  But there are choices that come up.  There are trials that we face.  There are difficult decisions that need to be made wherein we may be tempted to “wash our hands” and call it quits.  Seek God in those decisions.  Let Him by way of the Holy Spirit in your lives, help you to know what to do.  It might just become one of the most important decisions of your life.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.