February 1 - Muck and Mire
February 1
Muck and Mire
Bible Reading: John 18:28-38
(First Roman Trial Before Pilate, Matt. 27:2, 11–14; Mark 15:1–5; Luke 23:1–5)
28Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” 30They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.” 31Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 33Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” 35Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” 37Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
ONCE UPON A time, in a land far away, two young peasants--a brother and sister named Muck and Mire--left home together. They packed a lunch and skipped through the front door of their home.
"Where are you going?" their mother asked.
"We're off to see the king!" they answered. (They often talked in unison. They were very close, you see.) They pointed to the royal castle on the hillside.
Their mother smiled. "That's nice. Be sure you're home in time for dinner."
Muck and Mire just laughed. They planned to have dinner with the king and all his noblemen and servants at the palace. Before long, Muck and Mire met a woman washing clothes on the rocks by the river.
"Pray tell us," they said to the woman in unison, "how we mightest findeth the kingeth."
The old woman glared at them. "Whatcha talkin' all funny for?" she barked. "This ain't no fairy tale. Besides, there ain't no king. Now run along!"
Muck and Mire left the woman and continued on their journey. Before long they met a man carrying a large pig. "Pray tell us," they said, "how we mightest findeth the kingeth."
"Forsooth," the man said. "Each of us must find the king himself. I cannot tell thee where to find the king." And he walked away.
Muck and Mire began to get discouraged. They hung their heads in disappointment and hardly noticed the man who approached them. He wore long, flowing robes of purple and scarlet, trimmed with white fur. A golden scepter was in his right hand, a jeweled crown of gold sat on his head, and a paper name tag was pasted over his heart. On the name tag was written, in magic marker, "King."
"Pray tell us," they said, "how we mightest findeth the kingeth."
The man smiled. "I that speak unto thee am he."
"No, really," they said. "We want to meet the king."
The man pointed a finger at his name tag. "See?" he said. He pointed to his crown and waved his scepter at them. "I'm the king."
Muck turned to Mire. "Let's go home," he said. "We'll never find the king."
"Yeah," Mire agreed. They shook their heads and turned away from the man with the crown and the scepter.
REFLECT: How was Muck and Mire's mistake like Pilate's mistake in today's Bible reading? How were the reactions of the laundry woman and the pig farmer similar to how some people today think about right and wrong? Is either reaction similar to your own?
PRAY: "Lord Jesus, You are my King. You are "the way, the truth, and the life." Help me to follow You, obey You, and live for You."