Week 35 - August 25-31, 2024:Who Decides What Truth Is?

This week’s daily readings:

August 25-31, 2024

This week’s devotional:

Who Decides What Truth Is?

by The Rev. Justin Elerath

Scripture:

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” 

— John 18:38-39 (NIV) 

Reflection:

When I was in college, I had to take English – a class that required a lot of reading and responsive writing. As an engineering student, this was not my fun class. I don’t remember what the assignment was or what book we were responding to, but part of the process was to write our draft and then meet with the instructor to review it. Upon doing this, she told me I needed to start over. I had clearly claimed that truth was absolute and had applied this to the context of the book, and she rejected that idea. 

Relative truth is often associated with postmodernism, but this fallacy has been around for millennia. Speaking to Jesus, Pilate asks, “What is truth?” As humans, we desire to be under no authority but our own. We seek anarchy so that we don’t need to answer to anyone. But the reality is that we are the creation, not the creator. We are under the authority of the creator. Jesus is the authority; in fact, he is the Truth. 

It can be tempting to listen to the popular opinion which says that we get to frame our own truth. The problem is that, when we try to establish what is truth, our sin nature takes over and we want to call evil good and good evil. We need to resist the temptation to seek our “own truth” and instead submit to God’s authority. 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you have said, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” (John 14:6) and I believe you. Yet, I struggle all the time with giving you authority in my life. Forgive my rebellious nature that taunts me into wanting my own way, making my own truth. Help me instead to have a humble heart. Teach me to know your way and remember that you are sovereign. Let the power of your Holy Spirit heal me and lead me in the way of truth – real truth! In your powerful name I pray. Amen