Sarbanes-Oxley, or SOX, is a federal law aiming at public accounting firms who participate in audits passed in response to the 2001 Enron scandal. A staff of executives used accounting loopholes and poor financial reporting to hide billions of dollars in debt from failed deals and pressured it’s outside accounting firm to ignore the issues. As a result, top executives earned billions while Enron employees and shareholders lost their pensions and stock options when they declared bankruptcy. Leadership knew it was doing wrong yet looked the other way for personal gain.
The governor asked, “Which of the two do you want me to pardon?” They said, “Barabbas!”. “Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?” They all shouted, “Nail him to a cross!”. He objected, “But for what crime?” But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”. When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, “I’m washing my hands of responsibility for this man’s death. From now on, it’s in your hands. You’re judge and jury.” — Matthew 27:21-24
Pilate was in a pickle. Public pressure was pushing him towards a decision that perhaps he didn’t want to make. The crowd wanted the release of Barabbas and he wanted to avoid the political landmine of dealing with Jesus and his claims. Pilate wanted no part of the situation. It was his opportunity to man up yet he wanted no responsibility. He washed his hands as a symbolic gesture indicating his refusal to take the blame for executing an innocent man.
Many times I act no differently than Pilate by passing the buck – ducking responsibility – denying accountability by not acknowledging my sin as a result of my actions. And I’m not alone;
- Eve, to justify her sin, essentially said, “that serpent, the devil, made me do it.” (Genesis 3:13)
- Aaron, brother of Moses, claimed, “then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” when Moses was up on Mt Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 32:34)
- David’s pursuit of Bathsheba, he sent her husband Uriah to the front lines of battle to die so he could marry her. (2 Samuel 11)
Jesus, who is sinless, had every right to not want the blame for our sin, to say “I’m not responsible”, or to walk away, and yet his response was so counter cultural it blows me away. His response was not to wash his hands of us but instead wash our feet. Ya, He washed our feet when he could have easily washed his hands of our messes! He modeled a humility and love that the world had not seen or knew. What if we brought that attitude and behavior into our work today?
Reflection |
What does a spirit of washing feet, not hands, look like in your workplace?