Devotional – October 24, 2014

Before Bob Barker became immortalized as the iconic host of The Price is Right, he had hosted another long-running TV game show called Truth or Consequences.  In the show, contestants were given an unrealistically short period of time to answer an off-the-wall question, and once they (inevitably) failed to tell the truth, well, there would be consequences; usually in the form of a light-hearted stunt or gag.  The audience never wanted to hear “the truth”; which reminds me of a famous Jack Nicholson line from A Few Good Men!

Jesus used the word truth on many occasions including during his interrogation by Pontius Pilate where he declares, “I came into the world to testify to the truth.”  Pilate, acutely attune to the powers of this world, dismissively responds “What is truth?”  To him, truth was relative, a “best fit” for majority rule (or personal advancement).  The sinless innocence of Jesus was but a minor stumbling block to reaching a verdict that could appease the angry mob.

Whether the topic is Carbon Emissions or Chemical Disposal or Sub-prime Mortgages or Arming Rebels or our own personal short-comings, a once-revealed truth can be both inconvenient and condemning.  As election season reaches its climax, the airwaves are saturated with somebody’s “truth” about each given candidate.  It is a struggle to know who or what to believe these days!

Our comfort and solace come from the constancy of message in Jesus Christ.  By living in the light, in openness and in love, we waste no energy trying to disguise our intentions or cover our flaws.  We cannot be trapped or burdened by our sins, but instead we are set free.  Just think of what can be accomplished through this freedom.  Perhaps there is a biblical mandate to the age-old advice of “Honesty is the best policy”.

Thanks be to God!
David Krueger

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