Monday, October 21, 2019
675 - A True Gift
Spirituality Column #675
October 22, 2019
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
A True Gift
By Bob Walters
“Sanctify them by your
truth; your word is truth.” – Jesus praying, John 17:17
Somewhere
during His last earthly night in Jerusalem, between the Last Supper and the
Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus paused to pray for Himself, for the Disciples, and
for all believers yet to come.
The frightened
disciples listened as Jesus first prayed for Himself to be glorified with God,
obedient to His Father, and to return gloriously to eternal life in heaven.
Next, Jesus focused on God’s
ownership, His own leadership, and the Disciples’ stewardship of God’s word as
He departed from them. Jesus prayed they would realize that their joy-to-come
hangs on two things: the trustworthy words Jesus has passed on to them, and the
unchanging truth of God which will be the strength of their faith.
Jesus then prayed for all future believers
– us – who would learn the truth of God through the words shared by Jesus with
the Disciples. Jesus, right there, is
praying for you and me, that we will know the truth of God’s word, God’s Son,
and God’s love.
Truth. When I boil down everything I “get” from my
faith in Christ, I can’t come up with anything that is more satisfying, more
steadying, more joyful, more compelling, or more helpful than knowing the truth
of God, or at least that truth exists, and that Jesus is the reliable truth of
God. “I am the way, and the truth, and
the life” (John 14:6), He said.
In my life I have been fortunate,
lucky, blessed, or whatever you want to call it to have been in the close
company of some extraordinarily smart, talented, and successful folks.
Attorneys and physicians, PhDs and pro athletes, astute business execs, inventors,
gifted writers, teachers, and musicians, not to mention servant-hearted
volunteers, politicians, missionaries, preachers … fascinating and productive folks
all.
But it was well into my life, my
late 40s to be exact, when truth actually caught up with me in the form of
faith in Jesus Christ. None of us knows
the entire truth of God, but knowing Christ means we know God is entirely true. By whatever gift of grace and faith a measure
of God’s knowledge and wisdom is shared with and through me, that is my most
thrilling aspect of Jesus. Nothing is
bigger or better. “My truth” can’t
compare.
Not everyone alluded to above is a
believer. Like you, I have beloved
family, friends, and even longtime confidantes for whom truth means something
other than Jesus. And when I say
“other,” I truly mean lesser. We are all
welcome to our opinions, but truth is the superior province of God alone. Through the words of Jesus – in faith – truth
enriches human life in the form of relationship with God. It’s my favorite gift of all.
Perhaps the most cynical question
in the Bible is when Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
“Truth” was standing broken and bloodied right in front of him and Pilate
“knew Him not.” Notice Pilate didn’t counter that Caesar was
“truth,” only insinuating that truth was undefinable in worldly and situational
terms.
No. Jesus is it. Truth requires the involvement and sanction of
God. Culture hates that because, like
Pilate, the world has an agenda separate from God’s love.
When Jesus prays that God would “Sanctify them by the truth,” the
Disciples are being set-apart for a unique and holy purpose: to witness the
truth of Jesus to mankind.
I’m thankful my sins are forgiven,
hopeful for a heavenly home, restful in the arms of Jesus, peaceful in the
security of the Holy Spirit, and energized by God’s love.
But the truth is, God’s truth is my
ultimate blessing. Faith comes easy
after that.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) was blind but now can see; and that’s the
truth.
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