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.