Walking with the Wise #288: Egregious Error

“To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,

nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.”

—Proverbs 17:26

Punishing a man for doing what is right is wrong. We are not to punish anyone for acting with integrity. Punishment should be reserved for the wicked, not the righteous, which is one of the reasons why the trial of Christ troubles our minds so much.

Jesus had never done anything wrong. He was perfect and never sinned (cf. Hebrews 4:15), doing nothing but helping, healing, and giving hope. Nevertheless, the Pharisees and scribes were jealous, looking for opportunities to entrap him. Eventually, he was arrested and tried on charges of blasphemy. Forced to answer the high priest’s accusation of whether He not He was the Christ, He said,

“You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven”—Matthew 26:64.

Seizing his opportunity, the High Priest announced Jesus’ alleged blasphemy and then tore his robes for effect, stirring the other members of the Sanhedrin into a frenzy, thus evoking the harshest of judgments—the death penalty. There was only one problem—Jesus was in fact the Christ. He was telling the truth.

It is an egregious error to punish someone for something they didn’t do. And to punish and kill Christ in that particular manner is astronomically more abhorrent. As His followers, our responsibility is to be fair and equitable in our dealings—defending the innocent, standing for truth, just in our business, all the while proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is the Christ who will forgive all who come to Him in repentance, in faith. Be true to the Lord, honor those to whom honor is due, seek justice, and promote righteousness for the glory of God’s name and your ever increasing and constant joy. Amen.