Speak Up

I was reading about a woman in the bible that you don’t hear much about except during Easter. Her name is Claudia and she was the wife of Pontius Pilate. I want to share what I discovered about her through the informative articles that I read. Very little is known about her, except that she was high-born, Roman, well-educated and wealthy – and the wife of the Roman Governor at the time of Jesus’ death.

Being the wife of the Governor of Judea would not be easy. Pilate was tasked with keeping peace and stability in the region and as long as that happened he would keep his job. Imagine ruling over people who hated you and all that you stood for while trying to keep peace. Not a pleasant job at all.

As women we are helpmates to our husbands and I imagine that Claudia had many nights that the answer to, “How was your day dear?” did not return a positive response. Pilate was a politician and an administrator and he was always concerned about Rome’s opinion of him.

Pilot traveled around often to keep an eye on the region and Claudia would travel with him. Perhaps he was accustomed to seek out her advice on difficult matters; educated Roman women were often quite powerful figures behind the scenes.

But on the day that Jesus was on trial, Claudia stepped forward and spoke up. In fact, Claudia is the only recorded person who spoke up against the decision to kill Jesus. While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message….. “Don’t have anything to do with this innocent man.” (Matthew 27:19) “Leave that righteous man alone. I’ve suffered much today in a dream because of him.” (CEB)

Pilate’s wife appealed to her husband’s decision, quoting a terrible dream she had the previous night. This dream frightened and bewildered her so much that she felt compelled to act on it. Dreams were given great significance in the ancient world, more so than they are now. Usually they were seen as a warning against some danger, or a prompt sent by God to persuade a person to do something.

Either Pilate loved his wife or trusted in the power of dreams, because he acted on her counsel immediately. “Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” (Luke 23:20-22)

Three times Pilate appealed to the people but his efforts to appease his wife and spare and innocent man were in vain. Pontius Pilate was the worst kind of people pleaser. “Afraid of a riot” (TLB) and “desiring to placate the crowd” (OJB), he set Barabbas free and showed no mercy to Jesus, the giver of mercy. (The Women of Easter – Higgs)

What a contrast between Claudia and Pilate. The word said that she had “suffered greatly” in her dream because of Him and that prompted her to speak up, to declare what she knew about Him, that He was a righteous man.

The crowd spoke up that day as well, shouting, “Crucify him!” The same crowd that a week before had welcomed Him to Jerusalem shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13) They were people pleasers just like Pilate.

What do we shout when we speak up? Who are we trying to please? Our words and actions carry lasting impact. Pilate is forever remembered as a man who sentenced our Savior to death. Claudia is remembered as a woman who spoke up for His innocence.

My co-worker shared with me some of the traditions she participates in at Easter Mass. She said the priest and congregation act out the scene of Pilate, Jesus and the crowd. One of the parts that the crowd shouts out is, “Crucify Him.” She told me that it is very hard to say and humbling because the reality is that when we don’t speak up for Jesus we become part of the crowd that wants Him silenced.

Every name in the bible is there for a purpose and Claudia is no exception. She is there as an example to all of us about speaking up for Jesus. Secular writings mention that Claudia was a believer and that the Greek Church later made her a saint. She was one who feared God. She had either heard about Jesus or seen Him and maybe heard Him herself. What a wonderful turn of events if the executioner’s wife became a believer and a follower of the one her husband rejected. If these accounts are true, God used these events to bring her to Jesus. (Never Thirsty)

Imagine what God could do in our lives and the lives of those around us, if we would be bold and speak up!

My prayer

Father, thank you for each and every person mentioned in Your word. They are there for purpose and I pray that we can follow Claudia’s example of speaking up. Lord help us to share You with others and to tell of Your love for the world, Your character and Your grace. Let our words and actions be those that shout, Jesus is Lord of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Where does my help come from?

Psalm 19:14

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”