Intro
We are destitute, and our hunger has made us desperate for what is real. And,
yet, we live in a skeptical age, where we distrust authority, where no one’s
word is better than someone else’s. We clamor for truth, but not knowing where
to find it. We are left groping in the dark, blind, ignorant, and unable to
see the Truth standing before our scale-encrusted eyes.
We live in an age where each person has become his own Pontius Pilate. In a
world laden with lies, each cries out what Pilate said to Jesus, “What is
truth?” And like Pilate, with the Truth Himself before us, we have the
arrogance, the nerve, to treat the Word of the One who is Truth as if He were
but a mere opinion.
Yes, we like to think of ourselves as being on the side of the truth, of what
is real and right. But how often do we--even without realizing it--become our
own Pontius Pilate?
Main Body
“What is truth?” Pontius Pilate said. What is truth when you feel that what
God has to say doesn’t fit into your life? That was Pontius Pilate on the
morning of that Friday, Good Friday, God’s Friday, so long ago. Pilate didn’t
have the time or the wish to get entangled in a Jewish religious debate.
The Jews had enough problems as it was, without him getting snared into the
fray. The common-man Pharisee fought the establishment Sadducees. The
politically minded Herodians hated the spiritually minded Essenes. This rabbi
wrestled with hat rabbi over what the Old Testament said. Every moment of
every day could be filled with trying to decide between all the different
theological opinions in the religion-soaked land of Israel.
Pilate had more important tasks than to worry about religious disagreements
among the Jews. He had to govern a rebellious province. The Jews were the
unhappiest members of the Roman Empire, and they let every Roman within earshot
know it. And Pilate’s political résumé wasn’t looking very rosy at the moment.
The empire wanted order--and any governor who could not guarantee it would
soon be looking for another job!
And then one morning, a potential riot and rebellion all walked into Pilate’s
office in the person of Jesus, this so-called king of the Jews. If this man
thought He was a king, then Pilate would have to deal with Him, and swiftly!
But a short interrogation proved no political rebellion festered in this man’s
mind. This little man, Jesus, did not concern him. He was just another bother
in another busy day, trying to keep the peace in this rebellion-prone land.
Pilate would flog this man as a warning and then dismiss Him as simply another
pest in a land swarming with religious vermin.
“My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus said. “Everyone on the side of truth
listens to me.” But Pontius Pilate had no time to side with anyone’s so-called
truth. He had more-important matters to attend to, and this King of truth was
merely a distraction to him. Truth! Who had the time for that? “What is
truth?” he said and dismissed the whole discussion from his mind. He had no
time for something as inconvenient as truth.
We are the same way. We find it inconvenient to try to fit God’s truths into
our lives. Important matters crowd your day and are always crying out for
attention. It’s work just to make a living, to manage your ever-shrinking
financial portfolio, or to keep up the house.
How do all these eternal truths help me when my stocks and mutual funds have
withered away? Who has time for daily devotions? How can I set aside time for
reading God’s Word when I have to rush from here to there--some of it church
related--when I hardly have time to do everything that I’m supposed to do?
Sure, daily prayer is a fine idea, but when am I going to find the time?
And so, as with Pilate, God’s truths get in the way of what you feel is
important. The truths of His commandments are often like that, aren’t they?
Forbidding what you feel you need to do or want to do, and commanding what you
feel you don’t have time to attend to or just don’t want to get involved in?
Even the truth of His gospel intrudes when the needs of your soul don’t seem
all that important next to the needs of the moment. Salvation in Christ,
heaven itself, seems like a pie-in-the-sky when the bills are piling up, when
your basement gets flooded, or you can’t find a job.
And it is then that you speak the words of Pilate, “What is truth?” What is
the use of this “truth” to me? It’s not useful where I really need help. It’s
fine, but what does it have to do with the price of eggs? And so, after a
while, even coming to Church seems like a waste, because it doesn’t seem to do
anything that we need to have done in our earthly lives. Truth, what is truth?
There is a name for this way of looking at life. It’s called tunnel
vision--and Pontius Pilate had it bad. Your focus narrows so much that you
can’t even see other matters of importance you ought to be dealing with. Some
of them may even turn out to be much more important than what you thought was
of the highest significance.
Pilate couldn’t see past the business of being governor. And look where it
landed him! Oh yes, we need the Holy Spirit the teach us to see big picture.
And when we can’t see more than six inches on front of our faces--we need even
more--for the Holy Spirit to teach us to walk by faith and not by sight.
Indeed, may God shape our hearts and minds by His eternal Truth!
Pilate had no idea how matters of eternal importance were encroaching on his
little world of self-importance. In his courtroom, on that Good Friday, the
drama of the ages was being played out, coming to climax in the ancient battle
between the seething hatred of the devil and the passionate, saving love of
God. And no less than the Son of God, the promised Savior of the world, was
inviting this man to come in on the side of God’s truth.
Would Pilate rise above the pettiness and the commonplace affairs of the world
around him and see the salvation of the Lord? It’s maddening to think how
close Pilate was to it. The divine hand was there, reaching out to him,
straining to him! But Pilate casually knocked it away and went on with his
everyday affairs. “What is truth?” he said.
Oh, how our everyday concerns often trump God’s eternal concerns! Remember the
words of Christ: “What does it profit a person if he gains the whole world yet
loses his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). You can spend all your time and energy,
every moment of every day, on the things of this world and achieve the greatest
success. But on the day of your death, what will it profit you? What good
will it do you if you miss the joys of heaven?
Remember the parable of the rich fool. He focused his life on the business
affairs of the world. And after an unusually good harvest, he made plans on
where to put all the grain. He wanted to tear down his old barns and build
bigger ones. With the success of this venture, he’d be set for life. Do you
remember what God said to him? “You fool! This night your life is demanded of
you. Now who will get what you’ve accumulated?” (Luke 12:20).
And remember even more the saving truth that Jesus came to proclaim and to
bring into being. The ancient truth that continues to ring ever true is that
the wages of sin is death. But the truth that ever rings anew is that the gift
of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord. No condemnation now
exists for those who are in Jesus Christ. “For this is how God loved the
world: He gave his one-and-only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will
not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“What is truth?” This is the truth: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has gone and all has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Life is different for God’s people, for you--“your life is now hidden with
Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Something deeper, something greater than this
life moves and inspires you: and it is the Life of Christ for you, in you, and
through you. You have been saved from your sins by the life, death, and
resurrection of God’s only Son. That is the truth!
Your true treasures are not here but with God in eternity. Of course, you
still must deal with the hassles of this world. But know this: all that you
do, you now do for the glory of God and His truth. You now present yourself as
a living sacrifice to Him.
May God the Holy Spirit continue to breathe strong His Spirit in you, from the
Truth Himself, Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of your life. Let not your mind
succumb to the foolish notion that the truth of God, the Truth who is God,
needn’t be the center of your life.
Conclusion
Pilate asked, “What is truth?” But, sadly, he didn’t stay around for the
answer. Turning his back on the Word, Jesus Christ, Pilate got on with the
more important work of the day and missed what was most important. Amen.
We pray, “Lord God, heavenly Father, forgive us when we fall into Pilate’s
error. Bring us to repent that we may fervently seek out your Truth, Your Holy
Word, that He may be first in our lives. As Your dear Son prayed, so now do we
also pray: ‘Sanctify us through the truth; your Word is truth.’ Amen.”
--
Rich Futrell, Pastor
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kimberling City, MO
Where we are to receive and confess the faith of the Church (in and with the
Augsburg Confession): The faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of
Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His full forgiveness of sins, His flesh
and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for body,
soul, and spirit.
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