The Radiant Truth Project
You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
Discerning Truth is like manipulating Matryoshka
(Russian Nesting Dolls)
WHAT IS TRUTH
Sunday - 25 November 2012
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| "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over" |
Christ the King
Sunday, November 25, 2012. This is the Thirty-Fourth or Last Sunday in
Ordinary Time, and the feast of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the
King. The Gospel for this Sunday
concludes the liturgical year. It is a
continuation of John’s Passion narrative that we hear on Good Friday.
Jesus is arraigned
before Pilate. He finds himself in a
face-to-face struggle with secular political power. In answer to Pilate’s litany of questions
regarding His claim of kingship, Jesus simply tells Pilate that His kingship is not of this world, and
that everyone who is committed to the truth hears the voice of Jesus.
28
Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was early.
They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be
defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29
So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this
man?” 30 They answered him, “If
this man were not an evildoer we would not have handed him over.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves
and judge him by your own law.” The Jews
said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word which Jesus
had spoken to show by what death he was to die.
33
Pilate entered the Praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you
the King of the Jews?” 34
Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to
you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I
a Jew? Your own nation and the chief
priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of
this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I
might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.”
Truth is a “who,” not a “what.” It is a
matter of personal encounter and relationship, a matter of worship and
commitment that is experienced in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Truth who guides Jesus’ disciples into all
truth (John 4:23-25[2] & John 16:12-15[3]). Truth
is a matter of doing (John 3: 21[4]),
of ethics, of wanting to do the will of God, not a matter of abstract
principles one may weigh objectively and then decide whether what Jesus teaches
is true (John 7:12[5] & John 7:17[6]). John’s Gospel presents us with great irony in
this scene where Pilate with apparent sincerity asks “what is truth?” when the
one who is the incarnate truth of God
stands before him. (John 1:14[7]; John 1:17[8]; John 8:32-36[9]; & John 14:6[10]).
Pilate had truth right in front of his very eyes,
yet he failed to recognize this truth in the person of Jesus because he was
afraid of being “politically incorrect.” Pilate chose the “politically correct” approach and nailed truth to a cross!
[1]
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way,
and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father, but by me.”
[2] John 4:23-25
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for such
the Father seeks to worship him. God is
spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah
is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.”
[3]
John
16:12-15 “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot
bear them now. When the Spirit of truth
comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own
authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the
things that are to come. He will glorify
me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what
is mine and declare it to you.”
[4]
John 2:21
“But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen
that his deeds have been wrought in God.”
[5]
John 7:12
“And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others
said, “No, he is leading the people astray.”
[6] John 7:17
“if any man’s will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching if
from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”
[7]
John 1:14
“And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have
beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father.”
[8]
John 1:17
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ.”
[9]
John
8:32-36 “And you will
know the truth, and the truth will make you free. They answered him, ‘We
are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How is it that you say, You will be made
free?’ Jesus answered them, Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who
commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave
does not continue in the house forever; the Son continues forever. So, if the Son makes you free, you will be
free indeed.”
[10] John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to
the Father, but by me.”
It takes great courage to walk a different path than what is now called the “politically correct” path taken and demanded by a majority of our society. Evidence abounds everywhere we look: the shows we watch, the music we enjoy, the language we speak, the way we set our priorities, and what we do with our time. As Christians, everything we do in life may seem different from what even our friends and family view as “correct.” We Christians, however, are held to the highest authority. We take this responsibility with honor and humility.
God has given all of us free will. However, from the cradle onward we are bombarded with subtle and not-so-subtle messages to fit in, not to make waves, to not keep score so those who do not win will not feel badly. All of us, you, me, and our children are told / programmed / taught in this world each day that the individual person’s desires and wants are top priority, and that these should be gratified immediately. We are faced and challenged constantly in every choice we make that we can get away with a great deal and do not “have to” put the extra effort in reaching out, spending time with God and the Word, or letting others get the spotlight or praise. The gods of Relativism coach us to determine for ourselves what is right and wrong for each of us because there are no absolute standards of right or wrong. Therefore, since there are no standards (or rights) other than those which are imposed upon or granted to us by the State (the new number one god), we must all be average and fall within the proscribed "norm."
Not only do we not have to do better than average, we are compelled to be the norm. What the “norm” fails to understand is that you and I have the opportunity and the God-given challenge to do just that when we Love God and Love our neighbor in our thoughts, words and actions. In John 13: 34-35 Jesus gives his Apostles a new commandment. Note that the operative word is commandment. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; evan as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Certainly in this world - the world we who inhabit call the "real world - love is more and more reserved for one's self rather than for one's neighbor, let alone a stranger. To love all men - friends, family, strangers and enemies alike - is not the norm. Yet we are commanded to do just that and behave in a way that shines the spotlight upon us and marks us as a disciple of Christ.
Not only do we not have to do better than average, we are compelled to be the norm. What the “norm” fails to understand is that you and I have the opportunity and the God-given challenge to do just that when we Love God and Love our neighbor in our thoughts, words and actions. In John 13: 34-35 Jesus gives his Apostles a new commandment. Note that the operative word is commandment. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; evan as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Certainly in this world - the world we who inhabit call the "real world - love is more and more reserved for one's self rather than for one's neighbor, let alone a stranger. To love all men - friends, family, strangers and enemies alike - is not the norm. Yet we are commanded to do just that and behave in a way that shines the spotlight upon us and marks us as a disciple of Christ.
For me, I believe that my reward is in the people I encounter and serve day in and day out, the society I try to improve, and knowing that my Loving Father is with me always. “Not of this world” is a way of life. It is a re-assurance that I have that this is not all there is. Because of Jesus’ example, I am not to be concerned with what others say about me or they judge me. I find tremendous peace in knowing that while I may be in this world, I am not ofthis world.
TRUTH IN THE BIBLE
But the LORD is the true God; he is the living god and the everlasting King. (Jeremiah 10: 10)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten son from the Father. (John 1: 14)
But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it maybe clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God. (John 3: 21)
Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8: 31-32)
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. (John 14: 6)
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16: 13)
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17: 17)
Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. for this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" (John 18: 37-38)
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. (Ephesians 4: 15)
Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the Evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6: 14-17)
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of god, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. (1 Timothy 3: 15)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 3: 15)
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