John 18:33-38a 33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters* again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ 34Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ 35Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 37Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ 38 And Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’
This is a challenging and important passage to read in the midst of the turmoil of our world. In the stories that come out of the media – what kind of leadership do we see being endorsed by the leaders of the world? Are there those on the world stage that are utilizing the kind of power Jesus was talking about in our passage today? The kind of servant leadership that he modelled in his life? And what about us – as we try to hold in balance the demands of our society and following in the footsteps of Jesus? What kind of power do we exercise? What kind of leadership? Whether that is in the workplace, at school, in our community, or here in the church. Are we seeking the welfare of others? Are we seeking to affect positive change in the communities where we live and work? In practical terms – how are we demonstrating the love of God?