“国度”的新定义

彼拉多呼喊说：“这样，你是王吗？”他以为这就是“哈哈，这下把你抓住了”的一刻。彼拉多知道怎样对付想要做王的人：就是当他们是昆虫那样压扁他们来维持和平。从前面对各种新发迹者和革命人士时，他已经多次试过这样做的了。

然而，耶稣的回答却很有趣：“你说我是王。”耶稣并没有拒绝接受这个职衔，衪反而重新解释王的意思和给它下新的定义，衪拒绝被人们对衪的王权和国度的误解所限。彼拉多不惯于处理这种情况，结果是他表示他也不知道什么才是真理的本质。

耶稣以一个明显的事实，来证明衪的国度与别不同：衪没有抗拒被捕。每一个官长、首相、苏丹王、和国家主席，都有精锐的护卫队，总统府都是护卫深严的，连教皇也有一辆防弹汽车。然而，耶稣被捕时，衪并没有找人保护衪（约翰福音 18:1-14）。

正如耶稣自己所显示的，祂的国度与众不同：这是一个不暴力、顺服、甚至自我牺牲的国度。听起来它好像和一般国度刚刚相反，然而这个国度才是真的，它显明所有其他的国度都只不过是冒名顶替者。这不是一个平凡的国度，因为它有一位不平凡的君王。

主耶稣，求祢把祢在天上的生命赐给我们，好叫我们能明白和跟随祢那看似颠倒了、但又出乎意料之外地正确的国度。奉祢的名祈求，阿们。

36耶稣回答说：“我的国不属这世界。我的国若属这世界，我的臣仆必要争战，使我不至于被交给犹太人。只是我的国不属这世界。”
37彼拉多就对他说：“这样，你是王吗？”耶稣回答说：“你说我是王。我为此而生，也为此来到世间，特为给真理作见证。凡属真理的人就听我的话。”
38彼拉多说：“真理是什么呢？”说了这话，又出来到犹太人那里，对他们说：“我查不出他有什么罪来。

Redefining "Kingdom"

"But now my kingdom is from another place." - John 18:36

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"You are a king, then!" Pilate exclaims. He thinks he has an "aha, gotcha!" moment. Pilate knows what to do with would-be kings: squash them like bugs in order to keep the peace. He's done it many times before with various upstarts and revolutionaries.

But Jesus' reply is intriguing: "You say that I am a king." Jesus doesn't refuse the title; instead, he reorients and redefines it. He refuses to be pinned down by mistaken notions of his kingship and kingdom. This is not what Pilate is accustomed to, so it leaves him questioning the very nature of truth.

Jesus gives one clear piece of evidence showing that his kingdom is different: he offers no resistance to arrest. Every chief, prime minister, sultan, and national chairman has an elite bodyguard. Presidential palaces are heavily defended. Even the Pope has a bulletproof car. But at his arrest, Jesus asks no one to protect him (John 18:1-14).

As Jesus himself shows, his kingdom is different: nonviolent, submissive, even self-sacrificing. This sounds almost like an antikingdom, except that it is the real thing, and it reveals that all other kingdoms are merely imposters. This is no ordinary kingdom, because this is no ordinary King.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, give us your life from above, that we may grasp and follow the ways of your seemingly upside-down yet surprisingly right-side-up kingdom. In your name we pray. Amen.