“What is truth?” Pilate asked.
If we were to read beyond where our
scripture reading ended this morning, we would hear Pilate ask this question
after his discourse with Jesus. I do not
think that Pilate was directing this question at Jesus as much as he was
pondering the question himself. He had
been approached by those accusing Jesus of treason and blasphemy . . . they
claimed to be the truth in the situation.
Pilate had questioned Jesus about these accusations . . . and, Jesus
stated that his was the truth. And, into
this quandary, Pilate was on his own to determine what truth was . . . was it
the words he heard from the disgruntled Jews who were fearful of this upstart
preacher usurping their power . . . or was it the words of this mystic who
spoke of other worldly things based on love for God and others . . . or was it
the things he had learned and experienced in his own life. Holding the life of a man in his hands, he
pondered what truth really was.
In this age . . . don’t we all? Don’t we all wonder what truth is in this age
of shouting heads on the television . . . screaming voices on the radio . . .
and, pictures and words thrown at us on the computer screen? Each and every one claims to know the truth .
. . few of them ever agree . . . and, we the people listening to and reading
all of this are urged to embrace it all as being the truth. It is enough to make one’s head spin . . .
ask Pilate, he would know.
On this last Sunday of the liturgical
year we are approaching the climax of the Christ story. The end of Jesus’ earthly ministry is coming
to a screeching halt . . . he has been arrested, beaten, tried, convicted, and
now dragged before Pilate, the Roman consult, in hopes of being put to
death. Pilate has been asked to
pronounce the death penalty upon Jesus . . . but, he is not sure that this is
an up-and-up deal. Pilate is not a
stupid person, he knows that things are not adding up . . . and, he also knows
that to understand any story, to gain any knowledge, one must always go back to
the source . . . so, he summons Jesus.
He will question Jesus for himself.
Pilate gets straight to the point . .
. “Are
you the king of the Jews?” That
is the accusation from those in power . . . that Jesus is going around claiming
to be the king of the Jews—which is obviously not the truth as Herod was the
king of the Jews. Thus Jesus was
revolutionary practicing treason and raising the people against not only King
Herod, but also the Romans who were their captors. Pilate understood this, but he also
understood the ploys of those who were afraid of losing power . . . they
lied. Thus he goes straight to the
source and asks Jesus point blank, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Of course, Jesus asks Pilate whether
this is his thoughts or the thoughts of others.
Jesus, too, wants to know where Pilate stands. This makes Pilate mad and tells Jesus that
these are the accusations from those who have had Jesus arrested . . . Pilate
knows those who are in power and their play on words to twist and turn the
truth to their advantage. That is why he
asks Jesus, “What is it that you have done?”
Jesus responds that the only thing he
has done is to come and establish a kingdom that is not like any kingdom in the
world . . . it is God’s kingdom. With
this explanation, Pilate is quick to point out to Jesus that he is then a
king. Jesus does not deny it, but at the
same time he explains that it is not a kingdom that anyone on this planet had
ever witnessed before—it is God’s kingdom.
And, to this he came to testify . . . to testify the truth.
By this time Pilate’s head is spinning
. . . and, in the verse we did not hear in our reading, he lets slip out what
he is thinking: “What is the truth?”
We have all been in the shoes of
Pilate. We have all been where he is
standing . . . standing in the midst of words and more words . . . all proclaiming
to be the truth . . . all wanting our loyalty.
And, standing there with our heads spinning, we suddenly realize that we
really are not sure what the truth is.
If I only get my news from one source
on television . . . Fox News or one
of the mainline stations like CBS or ABC . . . all accused of being bias
towards the left or the right, liberal or conservative . . . then I have only
heard what one side claims to be the truth.
If I only get my news from social media like Facebook or Twitter or
any number of the Internet’s offerings . . . again, I only get one side of what
is said to be the truth. Same with the
talking heads . . . liberal or conservative, left or right . . . either way, it
is only one claim at the truth. And, no
matter what the case, whoever is presenting the truth is adamant about their
truth. But, is it the truth?
That is what Pilate wants to
know! Is it the Jews? Is it the Romans? Is it Jesus?
As the followers of Jesus . . . we
know the answer.
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and
the life.” (John 14:6)
We know the answer and this is why
Jesus said to Pilate: “Everyone on this side of truth listens to
me.” In other words, if we
believe in Jesus . . . believe in what he taught and preached . . . believed in
the way that he lived his life . . . we know the truth. And, the truth is not of this world . . . the
truth lies in Jesus and God’s Kingdom.
The truth is based on a simple premise . . . that we are to love the
Lord with our whole being, and we are to love one another as we love
ourselves. In that premise those who we
are to love are the others . . . our brother and sisters created in the image
of God. We are to love everyone. Such a concept is not of this world . . . it
is not of this world based on what we are being told is the truth in our age.
What we are being told is the truth
only pits us against one another. What
we are being told is the truth only brings divisiveness and division. What we are being told is the truth only
creates animosity and violence. What we
are being told is the truth separates and creates hierarchies that are not fair
or just. The truth as Jesus knows it
does none of this. The truth as Jesus
knows it creates unity and oneness . . . it creates family. That is the truth.
So, what is truth?
Well, if we are the followers of
Jesus, truth is life . . . life that brings us together as one, as the family
of God . . . it brings us the Kingdom of God.
And, Jesus showed us the way . . . thus, he is the way.
When Jesus wants to know from Pilate
whether the accusations against him were Pilate’s or someone else’s ideas,
Jesus really wants to know what Pilate thinks for himself. In the end, this is what it all comes down to
. . . is this what you think and feel and believe, or is it something someone
else has told you is the truth? In the
end, it all comes down to you as an individual . . . not what someone else
states is the truth, but what you—deep down in your own heart—believes is the
truth. Isn’t that the way it is when it
comes to faith? It is between us and
God, with God desiring us to be open, honest, and truthful in our relationship
with God.
So . . . what do you believe? Not what your parents told you. Not what your teachers told you. Not what some book told you. Not what some Sunday school teacher told
you. Not what some preacher spouted off
from the pulpit. Not what some talking
head said on the television. Not what
you read in the newspaper. Not what
someone wrote on Facebook. God wants to know what you believe.
What is the truth?
The truth is what you carry within
your heart that makes you live your life the way that you live it each
day. As a follower of Jesus it should be
a love and relationship with God that makes you want to love others . . . all
others . . . that makes you want to be the family of God . . . that makes you
embrace a kingdom not of this world.
Jesus showed us the way . . . he was the embodiment of truth. He said so himself, “I am the way and the truth and
the life.”
That is the truth. Amen.
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