The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

“Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

John 18:38a

“What is truth?”  That’s the haunting question Pilate asked Jesus right smack dab in the midst of his trial.   There were all sorts of rumors, accusations and charges being brought against Jesus.  Yet when Pilate questioned him, he could find no basis for any of the charges.   He was having a hard time finding the “truth” in all the confusion.  It’s no wonder Pilate asked his question. 

Sound familiar?  I think so.  As I have listened to the news lately, it’s a question I have found myself asking.  There have been all sorts of accusations and denials swirling around the Supreme Court nomination.  We have heard all sorts of charges about “fake news” and many stories have proven that to be exactly that.    How do you know what to believe? 

Then add to the fact that telling lies has reached epidemic levels in our world.  Listen to these stats from the book, The Day America told the Truth. 97 % of Americans said they routinely lie about trivial matters.  36 % said they regularly lie about important matters.  86 % of children and youth lie regularly to their parents.  69 % of spouses lie regularly to their spouse. We Christians are not immune.  One Sunday the Pastor gave his congregation an assignment for the next Sunday.  He told them that during the week they should all read Mark chapter 17.  As he began his sermon on the following Sunday he asked for a show of hands as to how many had read Mark 17.  Half of the congregation raised its hands.  He said to the congregation, “That’s why I am talking about lying today.  There is no Mark chapter 17.”  How do you know who to believe and when to believe them? 

In this culture of lies… where lying has become second nature to people, Pilate’s question is very relevant.  “What is truth?”  Of course, the answer to the question was standing there right in front of Pilate.  “What is truth?”  Jesus is.  He said to His disciples, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life…”  He told Pilate, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”   There you have it.  If I want to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I’m not going to find it in a congressional hearing, on a newscast, or from a newspaper.  I’m not going to hear it from a politician.  I am not going to discover it in you or in me.  Oh. I may learn some truth or even a lot of truth.  But it will be mixed with error and lies, sin and deceit (even self-deceit).  It will be confused with falsehood, and often leave me confused. 

If I want the full, unvarnished truth – then there is only one place to turn – God and His Word… especially His Word made flesh; Jesus who is truth incarnate.  There you and I will learn two very important truths.  First, you and I will learn the unpleasant truth of God’s law – that we all fall short.  Before you and I can point the finger at anyone else… call anyone else a liar, a fake or a hypocrite – we need to look at ourselves.  We need to confess the truth about ourselves – “I a poor miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities…”  “I confess that I am by nature sinful and unclean…”  That’s not an easy truth to face or admit.  It would be much easier to watch the news and get angry with all “those liars.”  It’s much easier to poke around at the speck of sawdust in my neighbor’s eye than it is to remove the log from my own.  But what does Jesus say?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”   Did you catch that?  If you want to see truth in the world around you more clearly – God first wants you to see the truth about yourself.  Pulling a log out of your own eye, will change your approach to the speck in your brother or sister’s eye.

Then you and I will be ready for the other great truth of God’s Word… the great, surprising wonderful truth God has made known in His Son Jesus.  You and I will be ready for the grace and truth made known in Jesus… the truth that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.”  Isn’t that wonderful?  God knows all about our lies, and our sin… He knows all about the log in each of our eyes – and He loves us.  He gave His Son Jesus to carry that log on His shoulders to the cross – to die for our sin and to rise again that it might be removed from us forever.  He loves you that much.  He loves me that much.  And He loves all those other “liars” on TV, in those hearings, in the newspapers, at work and the ones living next door to us… maybe even living in our homes.  He loves us all.

What I am saying today is this – if you want to find the “truth” there is only one place to look and that is to Jesus.  When you get aggravated and even angry, perhaps frustrated with trying to discern truth in the news and in the world around you – His truth will be your lens for looking yourself… for looking at others.  His truth will remind you not to be surprised by all the lies in the world around you… after all think of the lies God exposes in You.  More than that, His truth will give you a new humble, loving perspective on other sinners like you.  You may not be able to sort out the truth amidst the lies… but you will know the more important truth – God loves all those other people the same way He loves you.  That doesn’t mean you or I are freed from trying to discern the truth in the world around us.  But perhaps, I will be less aggravated and frustrated by my own limitations – knowing that THE TRUTH will win out… already has won out at the cross and empty tomb of Jesus.  And knowing Jesus who is the whole truth – we can be a little gentler and more loving as we seek out that speck of sawdust in our neighbor’s eyes.  

It's Not All About You!

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Matthew 20:26-28

It would have been one of those moments when I would have wondered, “Did she really ask that?’  The mother of James and John came to Jesus with a request.    Actually she doesn’t ask for a favor.  She makes a demand.  “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” That took some “hutzpah.”  Did she just think that her two boys were more deserving of it than the others?  Did her sons put her up to it?  We don’t know.  The point is she understood how this world works. If you want to get ahead you have to make life all about you.  You have beat out the other guy.  You get your foot in the door first.  That’s exactly what James and John did here.  They want to be on top dogs in Messiah’s kingdom.  They want it to be all about them. 

This is no different than a bunch kids racing, pushing and shoving to see who get to be first.  This is no different than my sisters and I fighting over who got to sit behind dad in the car.  This is no different than spreading rumors about a friend to make yourself look better… than lying about someone so that you get the good job.  This is no different than what I did to a friend in college.  I told him someone wanted to talk to him.  While he was gone, I asked out a girl before he did. That’s the way you get what you want.  You push and shove, lie and  gossip – You make life all about you.  .

The problem is that kind of self-centered behavior carries a price  - lost friendships, broken relationships, of strife, bitterness and division.   It divided the disciples. When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with the two brothers.    What’s more greatness sought this way doesn’t last. You are only on top until someone else comes along. It’s like the 7^th grade girl who loved all the attention from the boys in confirmation.  She thrived on it.  The other girls resented her.  Then the next year a different pretty girl moved in.  She wasn’t the center of attention anymore.  The glory was gone.  Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?” 

So when this mother asked her question, Jesus set out to teach them a faith lesson we all need to learn – life isn’t all about me!.   Jesus said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.   In God’s kingdom greatness is not measured by how high you reach but by how low you stoop… not by how many serve you, but by how many you serve. The road to glory is traveled by putting others first and yourself last.  That’s scares us.  Oh we talk about being servants.  We sing its praises when we are here.  Yet when push comes to shove we are like those disciples who didn’t want to wash feet. Each was too proud to do such menial labor.  There they sat there and no one moved. They knew that whoever got up would become the doormat, the fool, the loser.  We are just like that.  After all, once you start doing the tasks no one else wants to do people will take you for granted.  They will give you all the dirty jobs.  You become slave, not master.

Yet this is the road our Lord Jesus traveled.  Jesus says it here, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Yes Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”   When the disciples insisted his work was too important to be bothered with little children, Jesus took the time.  “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.”  When those around him complained he was spending too much time with “tax collectors and sinners” Jesus reminded people, “I have come to seek and to save the lost.”  When all the disciples were too proud to wash feet, Jesus became the foot washer.  Then the next day He stooped even further…  He listened to the false charges against him and said nothing.  He endured the whipping. He wore the crown of thorns. He went to the cross.  He gave His life as a ransom for many, for all, for you and me.

Instead of worrying about what would become of Him, Jesus put Himself in His Father’s hands.  His Father did not fail.  “God has highly exalted Him and placed on Him the name that is above every name…”  Having been crucified for the sins of the world, the third day God raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him with Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…” 

Now He offers to you and me the towel and basin full of water.  He invites us to travel on our knees a road that leads to a glory that does not end.   Don’t get Him wrong.  You don’t earn heaven by becoming a servant.  No this is the road to greatness because this is the road Jesus traveled ahead of us.  By giving His life Jesus purchased for us a greatness that you and I could never earn -  no matter how far we rise, or how much we own, or how many people must wait on us.  That’s why we can give up all the power struggles.  That’s why life doesn’t have to be all about you or me.  In Christ, ours is the attitude that says, “So what if others take me for granted?”  We don’t lose anything by serving.   In Christ, we are God’s children.  We have His glory to bask in.  We don’t need to push and shove. We can let others go before us. We can say please and thank you.  Maybe, just maybe, by our service they might meet Him who came not to be served but to serve them.  They might meet Jesus who give His life for them.  In Him we are free to be what God intended us to be, to be servants walking the cross-lined path to the glory and greatness of heaven.  So learn the lesson of the towel and bucket of water. Life is not all about you… It’s all about Him!   Amen.

It's Okay to Ask Questions

“They found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers and asking them questions.”

Luke 2:46

When you are little asking questions is natural.  “Why is grass green? Why is it going to rain? What does the sun do when it’s raining? Why is that baby crying? Why is he tired? Why is it nighttime? Why is that lady mad?  Why?  Why?  Why?”  You are curious about everything. You are totally unafraid to ask any question.

That changes as we get older.  It becomes hard to ask questions.  Parents, teachers, Pastor and others have to repeat to us -  “It’s okay to ask questions?”  There is any number of reasons.  One is a fear that you are the only one who doesn’t know the answer to your question.  So if you ask everyone will wonder, “How could she not know that?”  Nothing could be further from the truth Almost always there are many who are afraid to ask the same question.  There is also the fear that our question might make others feel uncomfortable. A lot of times, people won’t ask someone who is grieving how they are doing.  Why?  Because they are afraid of making the other person cry.  Sometimes we just want to know the answer.  Have you known people who didn’t go to the Doctor because they were afraid of what might be wrong?  Sometimes we are afraid to ask questions because we think we are already supposed to know the answer.  We think everyone else knows the Bible so well and we don’t want anyone to think that we don’t.  Sometimes we don’t ask questions because we think that having doubts or questions is wrong.  We think that means our faith is weak.

That’s why I love the story of Jesus in the temple as a 12-year old boy.  Now remember that He is the Son of God.  He is the Almighty, all- knowing creator..   Yet here his earthly parents find Jesus in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  If nothing else, this one scene makes it crystal clear that, “It’s okay to ask questions.”  If He can ask questions, then surely you and I have no reason to be embarrassed when we have questions. Since He asked questions, we can be sure that He understands completely when we have questions.   There are no dumb questions. He welcomes our questions.  He invites our questions. 

Listen to Solomon in Proverbs describe the eagerness and energy with which we should seek to understand and know God. My son, if you receive my word and treasure up my commandments making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for  understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure..”   I love people who ask questions.  I love to think through and debate the things about God.  I loved it when our DCE came in the other day and told me about a controversial book he’s reading.  We both raised lots of questions. Its how learning happens. He can give… If we are eager to know God better we should be asking all sorts of questions.

It’s essential to ask questions.  Listen as Solomon describes two great blessings that God gives to those who seek understanding.   “If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”   The first blessing God gives to those who ask, is an ever-increasing fear of Him.  That means that the more you ask questions… the more eagerly you seek to understand what God has revealed about Himself, the more you will stand in awe of your God.  You will be truly amazed that such a great God loved the world, loved you enough to give His Own Son… to be born in human flesh and die for your sins… You will stand at the foot of the cross, at the mouth of your savior’s empty tomb and say “Wow.  God did this for me?”  That’s the second blessing. You will know God intimately You will grow in your faith.  You will know that You can trust Him.  You will become like the man I knew in Nebraska.  For 35 years He had suffered with excruciating pain.  In that pain He had asked God many questions, searched out the Scriptures, had conversations with his pastors.  In the process God had grown him in his faith to the point where facing a very dangerous surgery, he knew the Lord well enough to say to me, “I’m not scared Pastor.  I can’t lose.  If the surgery works, praise God.  If it only makes me worse, He will take care of me.  He always has.  If I die, I go to be with Him.”

Remember the parables that Jesus told. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.  Who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought that pearl.”  The kingdom of God, the wisdom of God, knowing God intimately by faith is that kind of treasure… that valuable a pearl.  So ask any question you want.  It’s okay!  Amen!

The Real Golden Rule

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”  There you have it, one of the most important things our parents taught us… direct from the mouth of Jesus – the Golden Rule. 

It’s sounds so simple.  Yet so many people get it so wrong.   I googled this question – What does the Golden rule mean?  Listen to some of the answers I found.  One person equated it with Karma… called it giving good vibes to people. Another said, “Be nice to people so that one day they might be nice back to you.”  “Be nice to others so that they will like you and not hate you.”  Another said, “Generally I try to live by this rule but if the other guy is being a jerk – in that case I return the favor.  I believe in the Golden rule, not turning the other cheek.”  “It means be nice and don’t give others a reason to hurt you.” “Be nice first.  It throws them off their game… If you are mean to others they will be mean to you.  If you are kind to others, you will get kindness back.”  “It means if you can’t take it don’t dish it out.  But if you can take it, then go ahead.” 

There is something wrong with all of these statements.  They all make the golden rule about you and what you will get out of it by being nice.  In each case, being nice to people comes with strings attached.  Think about it – are you kind to others because you have a need to be liked and approved?  Moving to Germany one of my fears was that my kids would discover that they could get along without me.  That begs the question – Is that why I did nice things for them – because of my need to be needed by them?   Think how hard it can be to be gracious towards other people.  We want them to make the first good move.  They were wrong.  They should apologize. Then we will do so to them also.  We want a guarantee that our treating them nicely will lead to something good for us.  We ask “What’s in it for me?” before we do unto others.   See how the “strings attached” golden rule gets it all backwards!   If we attach strings to our kindness to others then by its very definition we are not being gracious.  That’s not what Jesus meant.

It simply doesn’t work to take the Golden Rule out of context.  Listen to the promises Jesus makes just before He speaks the Golden rule.  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Jesus encourages us to seek out our heavenly Father. He assures us that He is the Father who is ready to be found. He is eager to answer and to give.  After all, if we want to give only the best to our kids, how much more can we count on the generosity of our heavenly Father who for us gave His own Son?  It’s in that context that Jesus says, So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…  With the word “so” Jesus connects seeking out our giving God to how we are to treat others.  It is because of who God is, because we can depend on His love in everything that we are free to treat others the way we hope to be treated. 

That’s why Jesus puts the golden rule in the context of God’s unconditional, no strings attached love for us.  Our heavenly Father gave His Son to us and for us knowing that we could not give back to Him.  By His death and resurrection Jesus purchased for us a salvation that we could never afford ourselves, one for which we can never repay Him.  He made it yours and mine in baptism – for free, no strings attached.  There is no need to be so needy… We aren’t dependent on others needing us… on whether or not others love us or like us or approve of us.  We have all the love, all the acceptance, all the approval and grace and forgiveness we need in our God and Savior.  It doesn’t matter if people love us back when we love them.  When all our strings are attached to Jesus, we are free to love others the way we wish to be loved and to do so with no strings attached. That’s the real golden rule. Amen.