阅读经文 

彼拉多处于一个没有胜算的局面。一方面，他的门外有一群愤怒的暴民要求处决一个无辜的人。另一方面，这个人似乎站在执政政府的对立面，而彼拉多不能让这个消息传回罗马。不过，这并不能让彼拉多为他的决定脱罪。

无论彼拉多的恐惧是来自不守规矩的暴民、罗马当局，还是杀死一个无辜者的后果，我们都无法确定。最后我们所知道的是，彼拉多感到惧怕，并出于惧怕而采取了行动。

恐惧会使我们所有人都做出错误的决定。虽然我们因恐惧而做出的决定不会有彼拉多的决定那样的后果，但它们仍然是严重的。有时，它们甚至会对我们、我们的家庭成员和我们的社区产生可怕的后果。

我们不必以这种方式做出决定。恐惧不需要也不应该成为我们做出任何决定背后的驱动力。

在基督里，我们已经从各种事物中获得了自由，包括恐惧。作为神的自由之子，我们不再生活在恐惧之中。

Pilate was in a no-win situation. On the one hand, he had an angry mob outside his door demanding the execution of an innocent man. On the other hand, this man seemed to stand in opposition to the ruling government, and Pilate couldn’t have that news get back to Rome. This does not let Pilate off the hook for his decision, though.

Whether Pilate’s fear stemmed from the unruly mob, the Roman authorities, or the consequences of killing an innocent man, we can’t be sure. In the end all we know is that Pilate was afraid and acted out of fear.

Fear can cause all of us to make bad decisions. And while the decisions we make out of fear don’t have the same consequences that Pilate’s decision did, they are still serious. At times they can even have dire consequences for us, for our family members, and for our community.

We don’t have to make decisions that way. Fear doesn’t need to be and should not be the driving force behind any decisions we make.

In Christ we have been set free from all sorts of things, including fear. As free children of God, we don’t live in fear anymore.