Destiny is no matter of chance, it is a matter of choice, it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. ~William J. Bryan~
Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, "Kill Him, and release Barabbas to us!" (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) (Luke 23:18-19).
Crowds can behave in a notoriously fickle way. They may fully support a sports star today and turn their backs on him tomorrow. On Palm Sunday, the crowds in Jerusalem praised Jesus as their new King and a few days later demanded that He be crucified. They were willing for Barabbas to be set free and wanted Jesus crucified. Barabbas was in prison because he had committed murder and led an uprising. Conversely Jesus avoided political involvement and brought people healing, hope and abundant life.
As in those times, strange choices are made in the world of our day. Sometimes we choose war instead of peace, weapons rather than bread, money rather than righteousness, and despair instead of hope.
You and I also need to make choices and the options are not always that obvious. It seems easy to choose between Jesus and Barabbas, but deciding between a truth and a lie can be difficult, especially if the right choice is the unpopular one. Bribery can approach us in different guises and sometimes employment depends on how willing one is to agree to dishonest practices. We are constantly choosing between Jesus and Barabbas. Not only during Easter does it become a matter of conscience. We must always be wide awake, and often it is only the guidance of the Holy Spirit that will help us make the right choice.
Holy Spirit of God, help me every day to make the right choices. Amen.
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