A Few Words On "The Word"

November 26, 2006
The 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

John 18:33b-37

Speaking to the Truth

Believe it or not, truth can be a very tricky subject. We learn this the first time we try to lie to our parents. Even though we were easily caught we keep on lying. Over time we begin to realize that one lie usually leads to another and before long, the truth itself becomes blurry.

Obviously the kind of truth I'm talking about falls into the same category as right and wrong or black and white. Something is either true or untrue. Our culture certainly takes this view of truth. Science has had a strong impact on our understanding of what truth is. Something must be empirically proven to be true, leaving no room for error.

This black and white kind of truth wasn't really what I was talking about when I said that truth can be tricky. In fact, truth is usually more grey than black or white. Our human experiences can't be categorized the same way scientific facts are. Your experiences are different from mine even though they may appear very similar from the outside.

This leads us to today's Gospel. Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king. Jesus answers by saying that he does indeed have a kingdom and has come to testify to the truth, but not in the worldly sense. What kind of truth is Jesus talking about here? It doesn't seem to be an issue of right or wrong, at least not for Jesus anyway. Why would he use the word in this context?

As usual, Jesus is going beyond our typical human understanding of what words mean. Truth for Jesus isn't necessarily a matter of who's right or who's wrong. Don't think I'm saying Jesus is okay with lying...that's not the case! Jesus isn't a big fan of telling lies or even flattering others through half-true statements. However, Jesus grasps something that Pilate will never understand. He gets the bigger picture!

Jesus realizes that he is the truth! Furthermore, Jesus' words and actions speak to the truth of his kingdom. We, like Pilate, can't see this kingdom but it certainly exists. Jesus continually reminds of this reality by what he does through his ministry of teaching and healing, as well as the relationships he forms. We in turn must follow Jesus' lead and speak the truth of his kingdom through our words and, most importantly, our actions.

Reflection Question

In what ways can you be more "truthful" to the world around you?

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