John
18:33-38
In a world where
alternative facts and fake news abound, Pontius Pilate’s question, “What is
truth?” especially resonates today. This
question comes at the end of his interrogation of Jesus as he demands to know,
“Are you the King of the Jews?” That’s
what Pilate really cares about. It’s a
simple question and it’s clear he is looking for a simple answer, yes or
no. But you don’t have to hang around
Jesus very long to know that his answers are rarely simple because truth is not
often simple. Take this situation, if
Jesus had answered Pilate, “Yes, I am the King of the Jews,” Pilate would have
understood his answer within the context of his own experience of what a King
was which would not have been correct.
On the other hand, if Jesus had answered “no” then that too would have
also been untrue.
That’s not to say
that everything in this world is so complicated. Facts exist and they do matter. They are essential to our wellbeing as a
society. A fact is something that can be
verified objectively or that can be proven with evidence. Like the fact that the earth is round, or all
mammals have hair, or fire is hot, or Church of Our Saviour is the best church
ever - ok, that’s not fact, but it still may be true.
Still, in the
exchange between Pilate and Jesus, sticking to just the facts was not
enough. Jesus explains that his kingdom
is not of this world. It’s not a kingdom
that operates with violence and domination - and that’s clearly demonstrated by
his willingness to submit to Pilate’s examination and ultimately to the
cross. But there’s even more than that,
Jesus goes on to say that if anyone wants real answers they will find them by
looking to Jesus himself. “For this I
was born,” he says, “and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”
So what is
truth? Truth is larger than fact. It doesn’t discount facts, but it does move
beyond facts into the realm of meaning.
Truth is not something that is simply believed or thought of. Truth is something that is lived and
done. Jesus’ life on this earth
testified to truth, to God who is infinite love, mercy, and grace. Truth, therefore, is not something that can
ever belong to us rather we are invited to belong to it.
“Everyone who
belongs to the truth,” Jesus declares, “listens to my voice.” Which means that one of our challenges in
this world is to tune out the other voices around us that claim to have truth,
and to pay attention to the one to whom we belong. But really, how are we supposed to do
this? Given that Jesus does not speak in
an audible voice like you or I, how are we to listen to his voice? We listen by participating in regular
worship and communion, by reading and studying Scripture, by seeking God’s
guidance in prayer, and by discerning Jesus’ voice in others. It’s important to remind ourselves that
belonging to the truth and listening to Jesus’ voice is not an individual
assignment, but a group project. There’s
a saying that goes, “It takes the whole world to understand the whole
gospel.” And indeed we need one another
as we seek to belong to the truth, listening to Jesus’ voice. For it’s a voice that speaks for a kingdom
that is not of this world. In the face
of human need, we hear the voice say, “I was hungry and you gave me food.” When death surrounds us, the voice says, “I
am the resurrection and the life.” In the midst of today’s refugee crisis we
hear, “Love the foreigner as yourself.”
When confronted with hatred, the voice says, “Love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you.” And if ever
we feel alone the voice speaks, “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of
the age.”
Belonging to the
truth and listening to Jesus’ voice means that our lives, like Jesus’, testify
to the truth. Thankfully, though, that
doesn’t mean we are to have quick and easy answers to every question someone
might ask. Just the other day a
parishioner was sharing how inadequate she felt when her friends asked her
about her faith. She didn’t know really
what to say. And she’s not alone. We probably all struggle to find words that
express why we believe what we believe.
It’s a challenge because words alone cannot convey the fullness of
truth. And honestly, very few people
come to faith through well-reasoned arguments.
More often people believe because of personal encounters with love,
mercy, and grace - when people experience that truth they naturally want to
belong to it. So even though words may
fail us, as we listen and respond to Jesus’ voice our lives can and do testify
to the truth.
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