Dear Friends,
The question Pontius Pilate asked Jesus during his trial is a question that still reverberates in our day.
What is truth?
There has been a lot of speculation over the years about what exactly Pilate was asking when he posed that question. Was he looking for truth? What he a philosophical relativist, suggesting that there is no absolute truth? Was he suggesting that ultimate truth is beyond our grasp, so we should all just do the best we can?
My own view is that Pilate’s question was rhetorical. I think he was laughing and rolling his eyes as he listened to Jesus talk about a Kingdom that is not of this world that is built on a foundation of truth. He has just finished telling Pilate that he came to bear witness to the truth and that those who follow Him are those who are “of the truth” (John 18:37).
I think Pilate had concluded that he – and Rome – had nothing to fear from a King who was claiming to know the truth and to share it with others. In Pilate’s worldview, in a showdown between truth claims and Roman swords, power would always win.
But as we know, power is transient. Someone has it today and someone else has it tomorrow. Truth, on the other hand, is fixed. Those who know the truth are set free. Truth doesn’t change hands.
And as followers of Jesus, we are to be people who are full of truth. We fix our anchor in the truth of the gospel. We bet our lives that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
We are also, as Christians, to be people who are full of grace. John 1:14 tells us that Jesus was full of both truth and grace. That should be true of us as well.
We talk about this a lot at Redeemer, because each one of us leans in one direction or another. People who are strong on truth are often slack when it comes to grace. And people who are full of grace are likely to shade or obscure the truth. To keep it in the background.
Jesus wants us to be fully committed to both. Truth. And grace. Not either/or. Both.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Here’s where wisdom and discernment is needed.
Let’s say you have a friend who was just fired from her job. She is angry and scared. She is telling you about how wrong her employer was to fire her. How unfair and unjust her firing was. She is telling you about all the times she did extra work for her employer and about how he let other employees get by with things that he was now saying he was firing her for.
In the process, she is ignoring or downplaying her own failings as an employee. She is excusing all the times she arrived late to work, or failed to complete projects that had been assigned to her.
In that moment, what should your response be? Do you listen to her hurt and pain, even if it doesn’t capture “the whole truth?” Should you be kind, compassionate and caring in the moment, while she’s hurting? Or do you help her see the truth she is not seeing clearly?
In moments like this, we have to be in step with the Spirit. We have to be led by Him to know when to listen and comfort and when to speak the truth in love.
We have to be careful that we don’t break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick by moving to truth too quickly, without hearing the emotions that are being expressed.
Sometimes, objective truth can be at odds with emotional truth. When someone is hurting, what that person is feeling is real and true for them, even if their feelings are founded on a faulty premise. Emotional truth doesn’t displace objective truth. But feelings aren’t nothing. They are not to be waived away or dismissed.
In the confrontation with the woman caught in adultery in John 8, the accusers arrive with the indisputable truth on their side. This woman was “caught in the very act.” There is no denying her sin.
Jesus, full of grace and truth, doesn’t ignore her sin. But in the moment, He prioritizes grace before confronting the facts.
There may be the occasional time when God’s Spirit will lead you to confront someone with what is true even while that person is still hurting.
I remember a pastor friend who shared about how he had gone to one of his mentors, complaining about people who were treating him unfairly. He was seeking sympathy and understanding. When my pastor friend was done pouring out his heart, his friend asked if he could pray. “O God,” he prayed, “help Brock to get over himself and to quit being so self-absorbed.”
Brock said he was stunned in the moment. But he realized pretty quickly that his friend was right and that “the wounds of a friend” in that moment were exactly what he needed.
To be a good friend to someone, we have to know when show compassion and grace and when to confront with truth. The Bible tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. That’s the pattern to follow. There will be a time when speaking the truth in love to a friend will be necessary. But most times, when we pour out compassion and kindness and grace toward a hurting person, we are building a bridge that can, at the right time, support the truth. Proverbs commends the value of knowing when to rightly speak the truth, comparing it with giving someone apples of gold in settings of silver.
Sometimes, truth brings the comfort someone needs. To be reminded of what is true when we are fearful or hurting can be like putting salve on a wound. The truth really can set someone free.
The goal for us is clear. To be like Jesus, we must be full of grace and truth. Knowing how and when to express either grace or truth will require that in every situation we face, we are filled with the Spirit and walking in step with Him.
Thank you for praying for the 75+ leaders, volunteers and the kids who are filling up our church every morning at the Backyard Bible Club! It’s been an amazing week so far as the kids are learning about keeping in step with the Spirit and displaying God’s character through the fruit of the Spirit.
And make sure you’re at church early on Sunday to hear our kids quote their verses from Galatians 5 and sing their BYBC song!! I promise – it’ll be a highlight of your week!
Here's a quick look at what's been happening all this week.
Baptism.
Have you been baptized since you came to faith?
Ten days from now, on Sunday, June 23, as part of our worship service, we’ll be celebrating the baptism of people in our church, and hearing them share about their decision to follow Christ.
There’s still time for you to be included. If you’ve never been baptized since you surrendered your life to Jesus, we’d love to talk with you about you taking this important step of faith and obedience.
Baptism is an outward declaration of an inward transformation. In our step of obedience, God confers grace. It serves as a sign and seal of His covenant relationship with His children. You can read more about the importance and significance of baptism by clicking here (https://redeemerlr.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df57aea0670b59c32464d5bab&id=f00ef593db&e=60ed8f7d93).
And keep in mind, we celebrate baptisms at Redeemer with a party. We’ll be hosting a potluck Pasta Lunch after the baptisms are done.
Also, on June 23, a contingency of our Roots students will be heading to Memphis for a week of outreach ministry. Street Reach 2024. Please be praying for these students and the adults who will be with them.
Have you ever wished you could see what is happening in the unseen world? Have you wished for a first hand look at what spiritual warfare looks like and what the devil is up to? Sunday, when we get to Revelation 9, we get that look. And as we’ll see, it’s not pretty.
See you in church.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
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