On the Side of Truth

Scripture: "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." John 18:37

Observation: The dialogue between Jesus and Pilate is interesting, in both the questions asked and the answers provided. Pilate asks few direct questions, and Jesus gives no direct answers, and yet they seem to understand each other.

Pilate is seeking a fact - the truth - about why Jesus has been brought to him as a criminal. In turn, Jesus explains his kingdom as a place not of this world, and that his mission in this place is testify to the truth. He is not king of the Jews. Rather, he is one with authority, but his only threat to anyone is that they may not like what he has to say concerning the facts about God. By indicating that those on the side of truth listen to him, he makes the implicit assertion that anyone who refuses to listen to him and is opposed to him is therefore on the side of duplicity and falsehood. And Pilate gets it.

Jesus provided two defenses before Pilate. First, that he was from a kingdom that was both peaceful (not even there to defend him) and not of this world (of no threat to Rome). Second, that he spoke truth that many people now listened to - and could testify to (and the absence of any charge related to his spoken words is therefore evidence itself) - and thus it was his accusers who were not to be trusted based on their word.

Application: Jesus was executed without criminal charges, and after being found innocent, because ... truth isn't valued in the earthly kingdom. However, it is greatly valued to God and in Jesus' kingdom, and this is the only realm I must care about.

Jesus could have easily lied his way out of crucifixion. I could have said "I am not a king". He didn't. He instead said "I have publicly spoken the truth" and allowed the lies to drown out his innocence. That isn't a tragedy, it's a model.

I desire to be on the side of truth, both in my daily dealing with others, my personal life, and my interactions with the Lord. I don't always succeed at this. If I am ever again persecuted over lies, half-truths, and manipulations, so be it ... I have been through that before.

Prayer: Lord, may I keep my eye and heart focused on your kingdom, and may I live in that kingdom with your kingdom's values. That won't always be easy on earth, and I will fail from time to time, but your love is the foreign currency I carry with me. Thank you for that love. May I freely pay it to others. Amen.