The Truth
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series VI, Cycle A
Object:
One of the first Bible verses my mother taught me when I was a little boy was "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord," words that had a particular connection at that age to things like cookie jars. After I grew up, Mom and I were in conversation about some of the events in the news including the deception and prevarication that the stories often featured. I mentioned to her that some wag had said, "Lying lips may be an abomination to the Lord but sometimes they are a very present help in time of trouble."
Mom replied, "Who said that? Nobody you know!"
True. I do not know who said that, but I do know that truth is often a fragile commodity. But I also know who said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!" Jesus. What did he mean with those words? What truth? What freedom? After all, like beauty, truth and freedom are often in the eye of the beholder.
To be sure, Jesus gives us no clue as to which facts are definitive. And perhaps we have a handle on Jesus' meaning right there -- facts often do not tell the story. It is possible for one to tell you all the facts and still not all the truth.
I recall a story of a ship's captain who entered the note into the logbook one day that the first mate was drunk. The mate later complained and asked that the remark be deleted. The captain replied, "It was the truth, wasn't it?"
"Well, yes, but ..."
"Then it stays!"
A few days later, with the captain in his bunk with a sudden fever, the mate had the responsibility of making entries in the log and wrote, "The captain is ill today with a high fever, but he is sober."
When the captain saw the entry, he exploded. "Why did you put such a thing in the log?"
The mate responded, "It was the truth, wasn't it?"
In the words of Oscar Wilde, "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
Perhaps this is where we get off the track. We try to take Jesus' words about the truth that makes for freedom and attach expository remarks -- facts -- to them. One pulpit explains Christian truth in terms of democratic ideals; another says Christian truth is found in personal piety; still another says Christian truth is learned in care for the disadvantaged. But Jesus did not do that. He did not define truth at all. In fact, in one of the most familiar New Testament verses, he says simply, "I AM ... the truth ..." (John 14:6).
To be honest, we would probably rather Jesus had given a definition, then our religion could be based on a convenient collection of do's and don'ts. We like the idea of a salvation we can get the old-fashioned way -- earn it. But the word of the gospel is that freedom comes, not from what we know but whom we know. And if that were not the case, we would be much the poorer for it.
Mom replied, "Who said that? Nobody you know!"
True. I do not know who said that, but I do know that truth is often a fragile commodity. But I also know who said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!" Jesus. What did he mean with those words? What truth? What freedom? After all, like beauty, truth and freedom are often in the eye of the beholder.
To be sure, Jesus gives us no clue as to which facts are definitive. And perhaps we have a handle on Jesus' meaning right there -- facts often do not tell the story. It is possible for one to tell you all the facts and still not all the truth.
I recall a story of a ship's captain who entered the note into the logbook one day that the first mate was drunk. The mate later complained and asked that the remark be deleted. The captain replied, "It was the truth, wasn't it?"
"Well, yes, but ..."
"Then it stays!"
A few days later, with the captain in his bunk with a sudden fever, the mate had the responsibility of making entries in the log and wrote, "The captain is ill today with a high fever, but he is sober."
When the captain saw the entry, he exploded. "Why did you put such a thing in the log?"
The mate responded, "It was the truth, wasn't it?"
In the words of Oscar Wilde, "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
Perhaps this is where we get off the track. We try to take Jesus' words about the truth that makes for freedom and attach expository remarks -- facts -- to them. One pulpit explains Christian truth in terms of democratic ideals; another says Christian truth is found in personal piety; still another says Christian truth is learned in care for the disadvantaged. But Jesus did not do that. He did not define truth at all. In fact, in one of the most familiar New Testament verses, he says simply, "I AM ... the truth ..." (John 14:6).
To be honest, we would probably rather Jesus had given a definition, then our religion could be based on a convenient collection of do's and don'ts. We like the idea of a salvation we can get the old-fashioned way -- earn it. But the word of the gospel is that freedom comes, not from what we know but whom we know. And if that were not the case, we would be much the poorer for it.
