Pontius Pilate a villain in salvation plan?

There is no definite  agreement regarding his birth , place and even his
name, He was married to Claudia or Procula by name, She  was   considered
to be proselyte, from high society, well educated. Always by the side of
Pontius or his tours. He did value her opinions on religious matters. But
when Pontius sat on Judgment seat to decide about Jesus, he ignored her
suggestion and later did consult her after sentencing Jesus, She is
believed to have sent a message to Pontius” have nothing to do with this
righteous man” Her dream in which she suffered terribly was on a tour of
ship, hovering with dark clouds and heard the Captain say that great Pam is
dead. How can God die was her response. She repeatedly heard the creed in
her dream’ suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, buried,,,,,,,,,,” and
was tormented by it, Dreams in the past were believed to be revelations and
were treated with respect though with reservations. The privy to that dream
were the couple themselves, though the holy text mentions it . She was
indeed  the only one who tried to save  and spoke about Jesus and save  him
of  ignominious death . How true the suggestions that the dream was
inspired by the  devil, to foil, thwart and defeat the plan of salvation,
resurrection and redemption of mankind by death of Christ which was
foretold and had to come to pass. Was she a convert along with her husband
or was she a secret  Christian ?  Nothing verifiable from history and
authentic records available. The Coptic and Eastern churches venerate them
and revere them   as saints on specific days.

It appeared that the Pilate was pressurized by   influential   of Jewish
community, for he was a threat to their supremacy., The crowds adored and
followed him and  Jews hierarchy were likely to lose their stronghold on
the community. Hence  Pilate wanted Jesus to co operate with Jewish
authority. He saw Jesus as a potential rebel, who had to be neutralized He
was appointed By Sejanus after Tiberius King and  maintaining peace was his
prime duty. Pilate was a politician and administrator, collecting taxes and
maintaining law and order were his main priority .He was not looked  upon
favorably by Rome, to whom he tried to please. He hung  worship images of
Emperor by nights and had to face flak and withdraw. He was oppressive to
Jews and wanted to abolish Jewish laws. In the same spirit he minted coins
with pagans insignia and Caesar and again was forced to retreat  for his
most unpopular act. Luck was not on the side of Pilate as Sejanus his
mentor  was murdered. In a small uprising in Samaria basically against
Pilate. He  suppressed it brutally and had to face consequences, Vetellius
replaced him with Marcellius and  Pilate was asked to report to Rome, which
he did reluctantly for fear of retribution on disobeying orders.

Pilate cunningly sent Jesus to Herod, hoping he might release Jesus, thus
avoid bad report on him to Rome for sentencing Jesus  and thereby avoid
personal responsibility and guilt. Herod referred Jesus back to Pilate
citing jurisdiction. Pilate was cruel ruthless and had sentenced many to
death without any fair trial and jews were secretly conspiring against him
all the time. One would expect  and be morally satisfied that  retribution
would follow by Divine for spilling the innocent blood. Sacred text do not
describe or hint about his end to meet justice There are lot of
speculations, nevertheless, before he could report to Rome a the king died
and his inquisition about role in Judea was perhaps forgotten or delayed.
Was he executed by Nero  or committed suicide  in prison  to avoid
disgraceful, shameful punishment? When he appeared  in tunic before furious
King for inquiry in Judea, the King melted in his anger and left him.
Immediately he called him back , stripped  him of the sacred tunic and was
once again filled with uncontrollable  rage  to  confined him to prison and
death sentence.  Another version states that he was exiled and entangled in
one misfortune  or other that he committed self destruction along with his
wife and his demonic body had no place to rest.

Did the  merciful Jesus, whose creed is forgiveness and not retribution
absolve him  by his repentance perhaps, or because of his wife who
interceded to save Jesus? Pilate was not blamed by Jews for fear of
intervention and  further reprisal by Rome, but took upon themselves and
their children the  innocent living blood of Jesus., Pilate in the famous
act of washing his hands nevertheless condemned innocent Jesus without any
fault for capital punishment .Pilate bowed to cries of Jews in order to
save his position and for threat  of  unfavourable report to the Emperor.
Jesus was dining with the tax collector and  tried to wriggle out on tax
question, by saying give to King what belongs to him and to God his due.
Pilate in that sense questioned Jesus whether he was the King , because tax
rebellion was a serious, sedition offence  against Rome ,deserving capital
punishment That question Jesus never responded directly and which Pilate
furious.

Pilate was thus necessary clog in the wheel of salvific  plan and could
derail the predictions of centuries, which had to come to pass The church
is also not emphatic about condemning Pilate for his hippocratic  stance of
 washing of his  hands after committing the sentence and in order to save
his chair. How amusing and distasteful that the memory of Pilate still
survives centuries, in spite of being on the wrong side of justice. The
Church merely hums the tune of doing wrong by symbolic washing of  hands in
an act of absolution, that has no place and significance in law or natural
justice Pilate is a sarcastic example to be quoted for willful  derailing
of justice by wit and cunning even in the present days

Pilate sadly lives along with Christ, much to chagrin of Christian
community, who see him as a villain without spine devoted to his personal
self

What then is human punishment that would satify Christ followers and what
exactly was the end of Pilate? Some one needs to satisfy the curiosity
evading so far

Nelson Lopes Chinchinim

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