Today’s Reading: John 18:38a (NIV)
38a “What is truth?” Pilate asked.
Good morning!
In the Christmas movie, The Preacher’s Wife, Pastor Biggs visits a young man in jail who has been arrested and is being charged with robbery and attempted murder. Billy tells his pastor that he was just an innocent bystander, having returned a video to the store across the street when the robbery occurred. He ducked behind a car to protect himself from the gunfire, and after the shooter drove away, the shop owner mistakenly identified Billy as the gunman. Pastor had to make a judgment call whether to believe Billy’s story. He asked Billy if he was telling the truth, and looked him straight in the eye. Pastor knew where to look to see the truth – it is revealed in the eyes.
“What is truth?” Pilate asks. The truth was standing right in front of him; yet, Pilate, blinded by the culture and his own human philosophies, could not see Jesus for who He is. The truth would have set him free that day, free from his life of sin and shame. The truth could have healed Pilate completely, if he had only been willing to open his heart to the Lord. There they were, the two of them, staring at each other. Pilate missed seeing the Truth that day. He was so busy making a judgment call that he missed out on seeing and knowing the Savior of the world.
Do we somehow miss seeing the Truth today while debating who Jesus Christ is?
The truth cannot be defined by the popular vote. If one believes that all truth is relative, then there is no standard with which to judge right from wrong. Pilate wanted to bring this matter to a resolution. He was forced to make a judgment call, knowing his opinion would impact the public’s opinion on his leadership skills. The choice he made that day about Jesus would affect his life, his family's life, and his future.
What will you do with the Truth today? Would you choose to look beyond what the culture says; would you be willing to step above the popular opinion and take a stand for the Truth? If Pilate had simply looked in Christ’s eyes with an open heart, he would have known the Truth, and the Truth would have set him free forever.
Please don’t miss out on seeing the Truth while making your judgment call.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO
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