Pilate wanted us to behold Jesus
Perhaps hoping he could free Jesus
Or free himself
Of the responsibility
Of seeing more
Than he wanted
Than he could handle
Than he was free to believe
For Pilate was bound
In the chains of his own power
And had not the luxury
Of acting on his beliefs
So he could only
See Jesus as a threat
To his precarious position
He tried to threaten Jesus
To bully Him
Into setting Himself free
At the price
Of forsaking His mission
And denying
His identity
As God’s Son
Jesus saw Pilate
More truly
More selflessly
Than Pilate saw Him
Jesus was the one in charge
Pilate the one enslaved
And Jesus
Though bound and whipped
Held all the cards
Held all the power
That could set
A selfish tyrant
Like Pilate
Like me
Truly free
If only
he could see
I could see
Jesus
Radically Happy 