Programming Note

Tomorrow, I’ll be sending out a special sample of some premium content that I’m considering writing, so keep an eye out!

The sacrificial lamb

Most of us know the story. After Jesus’ mock trial at the hands of the religious leadership, He is presented to Pilate. Pilate finds nothing to charge Him with and confronts the angry mob over it. Offering a customary olive branch to the Jews for Passover, Pilate is willing to release one prisoner.

Their choice is simple: Jesus or Barabbas.

This story is the only place where Barabbas is mentioned. He is included in Mark 15, Matthew 27 (a “notorious prisoner”), Luke 23, and even John 18 (“a rebel”). While it is common for the three Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke) to align, the superfecta of John makes this a compelling point worth understanding.

Today, Barrabbas is preached as the archetypical symbol of each of us in our depravity. He is likened to the pardoned sacrificial “scapegoat”, avoiding the penalty of death. There are even allusions to the original Passover, where the sons of Israel escape punishment, but the firstborn Son of God does not. All of these are equally valid and profitable for education.

Do only the strong survive?

There are no surviving historical accounts of a Jewish uprising during the time of Jesus, but three of the Gospels alluded to Barabbas’ role as a revolutionary. It was important. Matthew’s description of a “notorious prisoner” suggests his name was known. Whether for good or nefarious reasons, Barabbas represented a closer approximation of the expected Messiah in the eyes of the Jews than Jesus did.

200 years prior, the Maccabees led a successful revolt against their Greek overlords to resecure the temple. Barabbas’s quest proved much less successful, but his involvement in a revolt was the people’s preference. They wanted freedom from oppression when they needed freedom from sin.

What does this have to do with work?

Are you picking your Barabbas?

Most teams have a talented jerk. This is usually a hard worker that has a high IQ but a poor EQ. As leaders and managers, we see these team members as a solution to a tactical problem that presents its own morale problem. We see the challenge ahead of us and are willing to sacrifice the team for the sake of the result.

Barabbas was notorious. He was a revolutionary. He represented all that the Jews wanted in a leader. Rome arrested him because he was on their side. Compared to Jesus, at least Barabbas tried to do something about the everpresent Rome problem, right? Jesus didn’t even speak against taxation!

Jesus was offering God’s chosen people something greater than the glaring issue in front of them. He was offering joy, peace, comfort, and salvation. Let’s momentarily suspend the eternal plan for salvation: if the Jews had chosen to release Jesus, what would that have looked like? Jesus would only be controversial to the worst parts of themselves. Jesus would (and will) bring perfection, but the Jews only saw the immediate need to fight against Rome.

Who on your team brings joy, peace, and camaraderie? Are you rewarding the jerk, Barabbas, with raises & recognition while the glue of your company is lambasted for not being as productive? Sure, the working world has goals to accomplish, but is there someone with 70% output but 100% meaning within the team/group/company?

What if your entire team was made of Barabbas? What if each hiring decision was metaphorically between him or Him?

Choose wisely

Everything requires balance and moderation. My only encouragement with today’s comparison is for you to value the employee or team member that doesn’t necessarily resemble the solution to your perceived problem. Take stock of impacts on your company’s future, morale, and flexibility when deciding on employee compensation and recognition.

The Jews chose poorly. They chose brute force. They made the “most obvious” selection. 35 years later, their city was overthrown, and their temple was destroyed…. again. Barabbas did nothing for them.

Jesus brought eternal victory. He is the king of the Jews they were (and are still) waiting for. Put yourself and your organization on the right side of history and appreciate the solutions that don’t necessarily look like the immediate fix.