The Truth Cannot Be Hidden Forever

Today’s feast of Christ the King presents us a face-to-face meeting between two very different kinds authorities. Some authorities can be very oppressive and others are soothing. We have a meeting between two different authorities: Jesus and Pontius Pilate. The trial begins. Jesus is ushered inside the Governor’s palace and the accusing party, a.k.a, the Jews remained outside because they couldn’t get in and be defiled. Pilate said: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered: “Do you say this out of your own accord or did others say it to you about me?” P: Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the Chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done? J: My Kingdom is not of this world; if my Kingdom was of this world, my servants would have fought that I might not be handed over to the Jews. P: So, you are a King? J: You say that I am a King. For this I was born, and for this I have come into this world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate goes out to give his verdict: “This man is not dangerous; I find no basis for a charge against him.” The Jews went on to aggravate the charges. In that short meeting, we learned the ways of the world by watching how Pilate handled Jesus in his court, with his savvy political maneuvers which eventually crucified our Lord. We also learned about the ways of God’s Kingdom. How might we as people of the truth, act with a pure character in this messy and ungodly world? Every day, we make choices. Some good and others not so good. Some fit in well with the working of God’s Kingdom and other choices do not. Some of our decisions/behaviors can trace their source in fear or selfishness of the world’s ways while others can trace their background in God. Remember the tiny European nun who went to live in Calcutta, India, because she felt God had called her to see the face of Jesus in the poorest of the poor? She did it because of God. From her, came the source of love and power to serve. She died in 1997 and the State of India had the highest national honor funeral for her. In contrast, a person who is in love with the world’s ways cannot understand things of God. They are gibberish... For e.g. depending on how bad we want a certain outcome, how many lines are we willing to cross to get there? Murder? lies? what line would we cross? True Christian believers know their limit, there are lines that cannot be crossed. Yet here in Pilate’s court, we saw the world’s ways at work in front of the divine. The Romans had no lines to cross. They did everything they want regardless of anyone. They were brutal and efficient in everything they did. Did Pilate cross a line by crucifying a man he (himself) had declared innocent? Yes. Was Pilate manipulated by the Jews? Again Yes. Were deceptions and lies used to achieve that? Again Yes. Welcome to the world’s ways! In that short meeting, Jesus spoke eternal truth. Sometimes we need to pay attention when words of eternal truths are spoken in our presence. Please review Jesus' words and answers to Pilate. They are that kind of truth that makes us uncomfortable because, deep down we know we fall short of its standards. Recently, our own new Presiding Bishop had to admit it saying, “it grieves me that the church does not always live up to its ideals.” Here we are, confronted again, by the same question that Pilate asked Jesus: What is truth? The author of Life was looking directly into Pilate’s soul (His intentions, his fears...); the same fears and wars that are in our heads that push us to act a certain way. Pilate had no way of discerning that, but He had power. That’s all He had: Worldly authority. To Pilate, the truth became what He made it to be. He could kill someone or save the person. But the real truth cannot be manipulated into what one wants. If we could, our past could be changed. Well, we can’t. We can’t change the past and the truth cannot be hidden forever, especially talking of the incarcerated innocent people. If Tom Robinson character in "to kill a mocking bird" book had rotten in prison, the truth of his innocence would still be there. The truth does not need defending. It shines on its own, regardless of our thoughts about it. We are in dire straits without the truth! The truth makes us free. Jesus, is the way, the truth and the life. Welcome to the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom rejects hints of all pursuits of power and its boasting unlike the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus would have none of that. He refused to be made King because it was not the right time. The pursuits of the Kingdom of God are vastly different from the pursuits of kingdoms of the earth. Our governments will demand our complete allegiance, but in God’s Kingdom, we are free to choose it, the outcomes are always into God’s hands, we don’t have to force anything. We don’t have feel the need to force through the pearly gates anything. No, we recognize that outcomes ultimately depends on God’s will. Yes, we live in a messy and ungodly world, trust not the world’s ways and fear not, and I repeat: Fear not. Grow closer to God in your faith community so you can all live as a light into the darkness. Amen