April 6, 2022 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Luke 23:13-16 A PART FOR THE WHOLE?

 

MIDWEEK LENT 6

April 6, 2022

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 23:13-16

 

A PART FOR THE WHOLE?

1.     Totally unacceptable.

2.     Unless it’s Jesus!

 

Luke 23:13-16 (EHV) “Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who is misleading the people. Look, I have examined him in your presence. I have found in this man no basis for the charges you are bringing against him. ¹⁵ Herod did not either, for he sent him back to us.  See, he has done nothing worthy of death. ¹⁶ So I will have him flogged and release him.”

 

          One Bible commentator stated that here Pilate offered the Jewish religious rulers a part for the whole. That’s not a new concept. It happens often in bankruptcy cases. Someone racks up a debt. They aren’t paying. Company is getting nothing. The person who owes the debt or their representative may try to negotiate. “I don’t have the money. Will you accept 10 cents on the dollar? A part of the debt to pay off the whole debt?

          I think we all understand that is not acceptable. Oh, to be sure, sometimes when a company believes they will not get what they are owed they may cut their losses and take what is offered. Some money is better than no money. That doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. That company will make you pay. Your credit will be ruined. You will have bankruptcy on your public record for the next 7-10 years and that will affect where you can rent, what you can buy, maybe even whether you get a job. A part for the whole isn’t acceptable.

          Not to creditors. Not to us. Would you accept a part for the whole? What if someone agreed to buy your home for $300,000 and at closing they said, “Will you take $100,000, a part for the whole?” You’d tell them they’re nuts. Imagine standing at the altar with your betrothed who repeats the words after the pastor. “I promise to be faithful to you, 360 days a year.” Would you take a part of the year for the whole? Mostly faithful? Absolutely not. If you reserve a minivan rental for your family of 6 and the rental agency says, “Sorry we only have a compact.” Will you be happy? Is that acceptable? No way.

          So why do we expect God to? What, we don’t do that, do we? Oh yes, we do. We expect God to be satisfied with a part rather than the whole. We expect Him to accept partway obedience as though we have wholly obeyed. Take worship. Who of you can go the whole worship service without letting your mind wander? I can’t and I’m leading it. And yet we just because showed up we feel we did our duty to God.  He should accept my part devotion for the whole. We do that when we play the sin game. I just thought it. I didn’t actually say or do it so it’s not that bad. God should accept my partial obedience like it’s the whole perfection He deserves. We do that when we try to justify the unbelieving family member or family friend. He tried. He was such a good person. He should be in heaven. God, accept a part for the whole. The standard we set for ourselves, expecting other to pay in full in faithfulness or money, we throw out the window and expect the holy God to be satisfied. That’s pure arrogance and it’s what makes today’s crucial hour so important for us.

          Listen again to what happened. “Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who is misleading the people. Look, I have examined him in your presence. I have found in this man no basis for the charges you are bringing against him. ¹⁵ Herod did not either, for he sent him back to us.  See, he has done nothing worthy of death. ¹⁶ So I will have him flogged and release him.” Did you catch the part for the whole offer? Pilate knows Jesus is innocent. Other Gospel writers tell us Pilate knew that envy was behind the chief priests’ accusations, so he was looking for a way to let Jesus go. Pilate’s wife had warned Pilate that Jesus was innocent. “Have nothing to do with him,” she said, “I have suffered many things in a dream because of him.” When Pilate heard that Jesus was the Son of God his superstitious mind was reeling. He did not want to be responsible for harming Jesus. What if he really was a son of the gods? What would they do to Pilate? What to do, what to do? Ah, the diplomat, the negotiator. I’ll offer a part for the whole. Instead of ending Jesus’ life I will flog him. Will you accept a part of Jesus’ life instead of all of it? Once again salvation hangs in the balance. If Pilate’s best efforts work, there is no cross for the Christ.

          Thankfully a part for the whole was unacceptable to them. Here was their response. “But they all shouted together with one voice: “Take him away! Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹ Barabbas had been thrown in prison for a rebellion in the city and for murder.” Now if we were watching this play out on the movie screen we would want to boo and hiss. Our blood would boil at the unfairness of it all. But knowing what we know, instead, we breathe a sigh of relief.

          Because the only time when a part for the whole is really acceptable is when it is Jesus is on the cross. It’s why the Son of God became man to begin with. So He could be our substitute and not just ours but for all of humanity. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world,” John testified. God accepted Jesus’ payment for sin on behalf of the whole human race. And make no mistake about it, God did not settle. He did not take less than what was owed. He got more. Only Jesus is the very Son of God. Only Jesus is holy and innocent. Jesus is the only God man there is and he was not punished in part but in whole. And because Jesus’ sacrifice was more than acceptable you and I will never get what we deserve. We won’t have to stand before God on Judgment Day hoping He will take our part for the whole offer knowing full well that He will not.

          That’s what changes us. We really don’t want to offer God shoddy half hearted worship. We want Him to have our all. We don’t want God to be our focus just part of the week but all week long no matter what we are doing. We don’t sing, “Take part of my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee.” We really do want all not part. Friends, this side of heaven, we won’t perfectly do that. Our sinfulness doesn’t just affect part of us but all. And yet the day is coming when we will serve God in the perfect righteousness, innocence and blessedness, as we desire and as God deserves. All because Jesus came to each crucial hour on His Lenten journey and thought of us instead of Himself. Praise Jesus! Amen.