THE MESSIANIC PILGRIMAGE

The Palestinians in Gaza could have written the Psalm for this season as it echoes many of their feelings:

All of us cry out to God for safety and mercy, especially when those whom we see as arrogant and merciless are trying to kill us!

Hidden in the middle of the psalm is the following verse:

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk according to your truth.

This is important because it links to something that the Messiah said:

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

Since freedom is exactly what many of us want, what is meant by ‘the truth will make you free’? Is it not the case that freedom involves a lot more than simply knowing truth? To understand this we need to know the context in which the Messiah made that bold statement to his disciples:

 “If you continue in my words, you will be truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Then some of them said to him, “We are children of Abraham, and we have never been anyone’s slaves. How can you say to us, ‘You will be free?’” Jesus answered them… “I know that you are descendants of Abraham, but you want to kill me because my word has no place in your hearts… I did not come of my own accord, but he [God] sent me… If I say the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears the words of God… I honour my Father, but you despise me. I do not seek glory for myself… I tell you the truth, whoever does my words will never die.” The people said to him, “Now we are certain that you have a demon. Abraham died, the prophets died, and you say, ‘Whoever does my words will never die!’ Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? Even the prophets are dead. Who do you think you are?” Jesus answered them… “Your father Abraham longed with joy to see my day. When he saw it, he rejoiced.” So they said to him, “How did you see Abraham, since you are not yet 50 years old?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham existed, I am.”

These are slightly complicated words and the dialogue between Jesus and people was a lot longer that the quoted parts above. The important thing to realise is that the Messiah is claiming to be God. This is haram. No wonder people picked up stones to try to kill the Messiah. Eventually the Messiah was taken to Pilate, the Roman governor, as the Jews wanted him killed for claiming to be a king.

Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your people and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered: “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my king belonged to this world, my servants would fight for me so that the Jewish leaders would not arrest me, but my kingdom does not belong here.” Pilate said to him: “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered: “You said the right thing, I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this purpose: that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.” Pilate said to him, “What is the truth?”

We live in a world where many people echo the words of Pilate ‘What is the truth?’ The truth as I see it is not necessarily the truth as you see it; and it is these differing perceptions of ‘the truth’ that leads to the fighting we see around the world and people getting killed.

But the Messiah said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the God our Father except through me.” We need to persevere checking out what really is truth – not ‘my truth’ or ‘your truth’ but solid objective truth. This may challenge our preconceptions but ‘then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’