Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

Sermonette: Dec. 6, 2021

"For this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”’

John:18:37-38

In this exchange with Pontius Pilate, Jesus leaves no doubt that there is such a thing as truth, He testifies to it, and those who listen to His voice testify to it as well. Like many in society today, Pontius Pilate asks the question, "What is truth?" The passage leaves us room to ponder whether Pilate had a genuine desire to know what truth really is, or if it was a disdainful comment suggesting there was really no such thing as truth.

We see the same divide today. There are some in our world who are honestly searching for truth. They have an open mind and continue asking questions with the belief that there are absolutes. If they keep asking questions, they will eventually find the truth. Falsehoods will eventually be fleshed out because they will be determined by reason not to make sense.

Another camp believes that there is no such thing as truth. They believe there are no absolutes. They utter phrases like "My truth is different than your truth." They see the truth as a moving target. Some believe that what the majority of people believe is the truth. Or, they may take the position that since I believe it thus, it must be so. The term moral relativism aptly describes the people in this group. They believe that no one has the right to question what they do or call it right or wrong.

Finally, the last camp sees that there is truth and absolutes, and that Jesus testifies to the truth. He affirms that the "Thou Shall Not" Ten Commandments can be summarized into the two positive Shall ones:

"You shall love the LORD, your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

Luke 10:28

They recognize that money, power, pleasure, work, sports, food, drink, recreation, drugs, sex, internet, television, media, politics, music, comfort, etc. must always take a backseat to loving God first and then your neighbor. In fact they, like everyone, feel anxiety, sadness, and overall dissatisfaction with their lives when their priorities are disordered. When loving God and then their neighbor is at the center then peacefulness, joy, and satisfaction are present in their lives. Just as one of the early church fathers, St. Augustine, has often been quoted, "You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

Because God has made every one of us with that void that only He can fill, when we hear the truth, we might get angry and want to lash out at those who are telling it to us. However, deep down inside we crave hearing it. We are like Herod listening to John the Baptist when he told him that he should not take his brother's wife.

"Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him."

Mark 6:20.

As we enter this Blessed Advent Season, which of these three camps that I have identified best describes your relationship with truth? Are you feverishly searching for truth? Do you proclaim there is no such thing as truth? Or have you found Him who testifies to the truth, satisfies your deepest longings, and fills the void only He can fill? +Jesus Christ+.