students of jesus

Jesus, shackled and beaten, stood before a Roman prefect named Pontius Pilate. He said simply, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” As with so many others before, Jesus had extended Pilate the offer to find an unimagined freedom. But, weary from the ways of the world and the petty politics of a small outpost of Rome, Pilate waved away the Lord’s offer with tired cynicism: “And what is truth?”

Let’s cut Pilate some slack. Our modern era is not so different from that day. Our world is filled with those who are willing to kill for an idea of truth, even though we are not sure what it means. That’s why ideas about the truth are not enough. We cannot discover truth through force or argument. We must meet the truth and walk with him.

Truth is both a pathway and person. Truth unfolds from relationship and the travels shared. Truth is not so much learned as discovered in the journey, and the journey’s guide makes all the difference. Although the road goes ever on, I’m encouraged to think it’s a journey worth the walk. My walk with the Lord of truth has included these stops along the way:

Nurture: Early childhood teaches us to order our world around our experience. These experiences become a kind of foundational truth for us, whether right or wrong. Later, God’s grace comes to either affirm or contradict these foundations. This is why raising children is a sacred trust from the Father: what children learn creates the ability to recognize the Way, Truth, and Life when we meet him later. What an awesome opportunity (and responsibility) rests with us as parents: we can position our children to know the truth.

Obedience: To understand something we must stand under it. This is why obedience is central to discipleship. Humble and simple acts of obedience position us to walk in the truth. Obedience aligns us with the nature of creation and the ways of the Creator. Obedience is going with the ultimate flow. It is alignment with the deep nature of things—a discovery of the truth. Obedience to will of God is midwife to the truth.

Discovery: Discovery is more than learning. If I am told the truth, I might possibly remember it. I will never forget the truth I discover. The Father reveals truth by leading us into discovery. He hides the Easter eggs, careful to leave them where we can find them. He glories in concealing some things; we become sons and daughters of the King as we search them out.

Love: Real love is the sure path to truth. But it is also dangerous because we think we know what love is—but do we? Discovering the meaning of love is a lifelong task, and a worthy one. To be on the side of love is to be on God’s side, because God is love. To love is to see and do things God’s way. It never fails.

Jesus: The truth came into world and lived among us: “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us . . . full of grace and truth.” Later in this rich gospel Thomas asked a silly question (the answer had been right before him for three years): “Lord, how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” But there is a hidden danger in our Lord’s words: we all have a powerful tendency to re-create Jesus to our taste and preference: Jesus the Republican (or Democrat), Jesus the non-violent, Jesus the Socialist, Jesus the revolutionary—or Jesus in any form that simply affirms our own view of the world.

Searching for truth is a noble endeavor; finding truth is discovering he has been walking with us all along. On truth’s journey Jesus is both the path and destination: we must keep walking. Will we allow him to guide us toward unexpected places?

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