Matthew 27:19 tells us that Pontius Pilate’s wife had a dream about Jesus, and that she suffered greatly in the dream because of Him. This tells us two things…
It’s easy to forget that dream-suffering is real suffering. The instinct is to be dismissive: “Oh, thank God it was just a dream!” People say that when they wake up, and it’s certainly true that the scenarios our subconscious minds generate may not be real. (This once led Martin Luther to say, “Dreams are lies; he who [defecates] in his bed, that is the truth!”) But one thing we need to remember is this: Our emotions are very real. Think of the emotions you’ve been feeling when you dream: Frustration, anger, sadness, nostalgia, euphoria, and excitement are real emotions. So if you’re suffering like Pilate’s wife was, that is a real kind of suffering. At the very least it means you’re not getting a good night’s sleep. The Bible indicates that her dream was communicated as a warning to Pilate while he was on his judgement seat. Sometimes dreams can have a warning function. School dreams, for example, where you’re feeling anxiety about tests and assignments while you’re on summer vacation – they help us to anticipate stress and prepare for what’s coming. Then we can respond better. Today we can wonder what Pilate’s reaction was. Maybe he was thinking, “You and your silly dreams; knock it off!” Or, “Honey, don’t tell me how to do my job. Focus on your own areas; I can take care of myself.” Or maybe he was motivated by self-interest: “She’s had these dreams before and it never turns out good; I’d better pay attention.” It’s uncertain but in either case it is juxtaposed with the crowd’s response in Matthew 27:20. At our recent Good Friday service in March, Brittnie Paxman did a good job of explaining how crowds are susceptible to bad influences. In this case from it came from religious leaders. There were two things being promoted:
It’s good to avoid mob tendencies. Often great movements of violence happen on a crowd level – drawing in people who would otherwise be peaceful. Romans 12:2 says not to be conformed to the patterns of this world. Romans 12:18 says to live at peace with everyone around you whenever it’s possible. Elsewhere in Matthew’s gospel, dreams are given as warnings for avoiding violence. Joseph was instructed to travel with the baby Jesus when He was in danger (Matthew 2:19-20, 22). The wise men from the east were told not to return to Herod (2:12). And– Pilate’s wife’s dream, likewise, can be taken as a warning. Today his name is invoked in the Apostle’s Creed: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate” He’s remembered largely for his violence against Jesus. (The gospels’ portrayals of him have been debated, but clearly they don’t exonerate him. If you know someone’s innocent, and you have the power to protect them from violence, but you don’t – you’ve done a great evil. Christ did have to die for the sins of the world – but Pilate could have been spared the indignity of his place in history if he had listened to his wife.) It’s good for us to listen to voices of faith that would keep us from the mob mentality, much as it is good for us to tune into Jesus. But that points to a great irony: In the deepest, most literal sense, Pilate’s wife gave him bad advice. She said “Have nothing to do with that innocent man.” Ultimately Jesus is the one we should have everything to do with, since we need Him for our salvation. He’s our only hope. The more we have to do with Him, the better off we are – the more free from evil influences, and the more aligned with the hope of the gospel. God bless you.
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Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
April 2024
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