To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
I have a confession.
When I travel for work I buy the magazines in the little convenience stores at the airport which scream headlines like:
"TomKat separating because he has two heads! Details inside"
"Khloe & Lamar: Living Apart - Insider reveals all!"
"Jennifer Aniston to wed in a Scottish ceremony to a Buddist Monk! Secrets revealed on page 43."
Okay, so I admit those are a bit extreme, but there is something tantalizing about a headline that calls out a deep dark secret. I get sucked into the drama of other people's reality - - or often a reality built on a house of cards. We all want to know what is hidden deep within - to know the "real truth".
But, what really is the truth?
We live in a country that plasters headlines designed to draw you in so you will buy the magazine, tabloid or newspaper, but all too often what you find inside is just more....well, junk. The headlines are padded with half-truths and the stories are often riddled with misinformation or blatant lies. So if the "media" is supposed to be our source of truth, how do we dicern what is really true?
We go to the source of all truth - God.
When Jesus was trying to reveal his true nature to the Jews of his day, he was facing an uphill battle. Many had heard of his fame associated with his miracles through the old-fashioned version of tabloids - - word of mouth gossip. They looked to Jesus to be a great profit or a mysterious healer - essentially a side-show. They did not see Jesus as the One sent from God. They could not see Jesus as the Messiah.
They couldn't see the truth.
They were okay with the flash and the half-truths. They were okay with the gossip and the innuendos. They were okay with being jailed by misleading information. They were okay with the tabloid truths.
But Jesus was offering them truth and the freedom that comes with that truth.
When we know truth - - absolute truth - - it is freedom because we don't have to guess or wonder. We don't have to dig a little deeper under the covers to find out what is "really" happening. We just know.
And that is who Jesus is. He is truth. By knowing Jesus we know The Father. We know truth and through that knowledge we have the freedom to accept the grace that the Father offers us through Jesus. Through that acceptance - we are free indeed.
Way better that any glossy tabloid or gossip magazine...don't you think?
Scripture
Quote of the Day
Gossip needn't be false to be evil - there's a lot of truth that shouldn't be passed around.
Frank A. Clark
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