(CEV) From “The Poem of the Man-God”, Vol. 5, p. 568
“I want you to meditate on the point concerning My meetings with Pilate. John, who is the most accurate witness and narrator, as he was almost always present, or at least very close, relates how I was taken to the Praetorium when I left Caiaphas house. And he specifies “early in the morning”. In fact you saw that it was daybreak.
He also specifies: “they (the Jews) did not enter in order not to be contaminated and thus be able to eat the Passover”. Being hypocritical as usual, they thought that it was dangerous to trample on the dust of a Gentile’s house, as they might be contaminated, but they did not consider it a sin to kill an Innocent, and with their spirits satisfied with the crime they had accomplished, they were able to enjoy their Passover even more.
They have many followers even nowadays. All those, who do wrong internally, but externally profess respect for religion and love for God, are like them. Formulae, formulae, but not true religion! I regard them with disgust and disdain. […]
When the crowds are perverted and the leaders have become devils, there is nothing easier than accusing an innocent to give vent to their thirst for ferocity and usurpation, and to get rid of those who are an obstacle and a judgment.
We have gone back to those days. The world, after an incubation of perverted ideas, explodes now and again in such displays of perversion. Like a huge pregnant woman, the crowd, after nourishing its monster in its womb with doctrines of wild beasts, gives birth to it so that it may devour. So that it may devour the best people first, and then itself.
Pilate goes back into the Praetorium and calls Me near him. […] So he wants to know whether I am a king.
In his ironic pagan skepticism he wanted to have a little laugh at that royalty that rides a donkey, that has bare-footed children, smiling women and common men as courtiers, at that royalty that for three years has preached that it has no interest in riches and power and that speaks of no conquests but those of the spirit and the soul.
What is the soul for a heathen? Not even his gods have souls. And can man have it? Also now this king with no crown, with no palace, with no court, with no soldiers, repeats to him that His kingdom is not of this world. So much so that no minister and no army rises to defend their king and free Him from His enemies.
Pilate, sitting on his seat, scrutinizes Me, because I am an enigma to him. […] Pilate cannot understand what My kingdom is. And what is more painful, he does not ask Me to explain it to him. To My invitation to know the Truth, he, the untamable heathen, replies: “What is the truth?” and with a shrug of his shoulders he lets the matter drop.
Oh! My children! Oh! My Pilates of the present times! You also, like Pontius Pilate, let the most vital matters drop with a shrug of your shoulders. You consider them useless old-fashioned things.
What is the Truth?
Money? No.
Women? No.
Power? No.
Physical health? No.
Human glory? No.
Then forget about it. It is not worth running after a chimera. Money, women, power, good health, comforts, honors are the real useful things that one must love and attain at all costs. That is how you reason. And, worse than Esau, you barter eternal goods for coarse food that is harmful both to your physical health and to your eternal salvation.
Why do you not persist in asking: “What is the Truth”?
It, the Truth, asks for nothing but to be known in order to teach what it is.
It is before you as it was for Pilate, and looks at you with eyes full of suppliant love, imploring you:
“Question me. I will teach you”.
Did you notice how I looked at Pilate? I look at all of you in the same way.
And if I look with serene love at those who love Me and ask for My words, I cast glances of sorrowful love at those who do not love Me, do not seek Me, do not listen to Me. But it is always love, because Love is My nature.
Be aware, o men who worry only about your material welfare, that God intervenes also in its favor, when He sees you behave faithfully towards justice, which is emanation of God.
I always reward those who act righteously. I defend those who defend Me.
I love them and succor them.
I am always the One Who said: “He who gives a glass of water in My name will be rewarded”.
To those who give Me love, the water that quenches the thirst of My lips of the divine Martyr, I give Myself, that is protection and blessings.