The Gospel reading for today ends right before one of my favorite passages of the Bible.
At Jesus's trial before the crucifixion, Pilate asks, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus replies, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Do you remember how Pilate responds?
He asks, "What is truth?"
You might think it's a little bizarre for this to be one of my favorite Bible passages. But, to me, it's one of the many little moments that testify to the reality that is Jesus is Lord. Christ is King!
It's been around 2,000 years since this moment, and more than ever we are disagreeing about the meaning of truth. Not in a metaphysical sense, but in a philosophical one. In our society, truth is often defined as your reality, while objective reality has gone by the wayside.
For example, someone could say that Jesus might be your personal Lord and Savior, but that doesn't mean He is to anyone else. In one sense, this could be correct. Many live their lives not believing in Christ. However, this doesn't mean that Christ only died for the sins of believers. He died so that heaven could be a possibility for all people. He is the Lord and Savior of all, whether He is acknowledged by all or not.
And it doesn't mean that Christ is only King of the Universe to those who believe. Christ is King and would continue to be King even if no one followed him.
I hope it will always strike me when I hear this passage, read every year on Good Friday, that Pilate didn't roll his eyes at Jesus or dismiss his statement as that of a radical or crazy man.
Instead, he pondered, "What is truth?"
As we come to the end of our liturgical year, it is a great time to reflect on truth. We end this year at the foot of the cross, teaching that Christ will return "amid the cloud." Next week, we focus on preparing for His return at the end of the age. As we move deeper into Advent, we prepare to celebrate His coming at Christmas, and we continue to prepare for all the ways Christ longs to come and be King of our hearts.
Questions to reflect on:
What is truth?
Who is King of the Universe?
Do I believe this is reality for everyone or do I act like truth is subjective?
Where am I struggling in the faith?
How can I align my will with that of Christ the King?
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