What is Right in the Eyes of the Lord

Readings:
II Kings 15
John 19:1-16

Focus:
II Kings 15:9a:"He did what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord, as his forefathers had done."
John 19:16:"Then at last, to satisfy them, he handed Jesus over to be crucified."

It strikes me that the first thing that the author of II Kings always says about each new king he describes is whether the king did what was right or what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord. For the purposes of writing the Bible, this is the most important aspect of each king's conduct to be recorded.

In those Old Testament times, it would seem that each king was pretty free to do whatever he wanted, though there are indications that the kings of Israel and Judah were behaving in ways to placate stronger kings, such as the kings of Assyria.

But by the time we get around to Jesus' day, we see the Roman governor, Pilate, acting greatly constrained. When Jesus is brought before him, and Pilate examines Jesus, it sounds like Pilate would much prefer to let Jesus go free. Yet the political pressure that he feels both to keep his subjects pleased, and to appear pleasing to the Roman emperor, Caesar, limit his abilities to do what he might think was correct. He ends up ignoring what seems to be right, and doing what is wrong, in order to remain popular with his subjects and to keep the favor of his superiors. Like the ancient kings of Judah and Israel, Pilate does what is wrong in the eyes of the Lord, and sentences Jesus to death, so easily, with hardly a shred of evidence. It is incredible to read how lightly someone's life can be thrown away. And this was the God of the universe.