Truth Vs. Truthiness

Even at His trial, Jesus boldly tells the truth.  I remember reading this when I was younger and wondering why He didn't just plead the fifth.  Why say anything, since it will incriminate Him in their eyes?   Because He Who is the truth will not hide the truth.
I tend to be cagey when confronted.  I won't tell an out and out lie, but I'll only tell the portion of the truth I am willing to be let known, which sometimes seems to be the same as a lie (also known as "truthiness".  I'm talking about times it benefits me, not just when it keeps from hurting someone else.  I still think there is nothing wrong with telling a woman that you like her old hairstyle better, rather than coming out and saying she is to old for a faux hawk.   I mean when I say I didn't call back because I've been "busy with Church stuff", rather than saying that I've just ben neglectful and putting other things ahead of friendship or family.
But Jesus IS truth, and any rejection of the truth is in the long run a rejection of Him (faux hawks not withstanding).
Juxtaposed in the scripture I read today is Peter's total deny of even knowing Jesus.  
*SPOILER ALERT*
We will find later that Peter is forgiven by Jesus.   He who is truth forgives Peter, which makes him truly forgiven.  The truth is stronger than the lie.

Submission

Jesus prayed before His passion began.   He prayed hard, and still the trials, torture, and eventually death came.  He asked in prayer that it not happen, but submitted His will to the Father's.  He was not spared.

Sometimes when things go wrong, I think I didn't pray hard enough, or for the right things.   That is not necessarily so.  No one ever prayed harder than Jesus.   Yet the Father willed for Him to go through the worst kind of suffering.  Jesus trusted the Father.  He didn't want to suffer, but He trusted the Father in all things.  I need to learn to let go, and trust.

Love

Here Jesus prays for His disciples. I can hear his pleading voice in my head as I read His prayer that all will be one, as He and the Father are One.  How much anguish do we cause Him when we don't recognize each other as brother and sister?
He loves us so much!   The Father loves Him so much, that He loves us because we love Jesus!  No wonder Jesus's two greatest commandments were to love God and to love others!

Trials

As Jesus tell Peter that he will deny Him (I think I'll go back to capitalizing pronouns referring to God again. I know the bible translation itself isn't, but it does make it easier to demonstrate Who the pronoun is referring to), I wonder about my own strength to not deny Jesus when trial comes.   But then later Jesus promises to send the Paraclete (Holy Spirit).    On my own, I'd trip up just as Peter did... But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I can have hope to persevere.  (BTW, after Pentecost, Peter persevered, and how!)

How Jesus loves his disciples! He washed their feet, and provided his own self to be served at the table, even to the betrayer.  The love of God is far deeper and wider than I can wrap my brain around.

Puzzling Questions

I've been puzzled by the story of the ten virgins for many years.  I could not see for anything how the behavior of the wise virgins was anything to be praised.   They failed to share, right?   But today I got to thinking, Jesus was not so much focusing on the wise virgins' virtues as he was the foolish virgins' lack of preparation.  Jesus was making a point, and trying to figure out the wise virgins in this story is missing that point.   If anyone out there sees it differently, feel free to enlighten me in my comment box.

I have to admit, while I admire the go getting attitude of the servant with ten talents and the servant with five, I always felt sorry for the servant with one.  He was afraid.   Although it is possible I miss the point again.  For a man that is afraid, he seems to be okay with insulting his boss.  "Reap where you do not sow"?  Maybe the point isn't that he was afraid, but that he was presumptuous.  Perhaps "I was afraid of losing your money.  I didn't know what to do with it, so I tried to keep it safe"  would have received a different response.

The story of the sheep and the goats is always disconcerting.   I can think of times I tried to feed, clothe, or otherwise help someone.  I can also think of times I went about my own business, too selfish to even notice the needs of others.   How would I react to Lazarus at my gate?   I don't know.  Most likely I'd give him the change in my pocket and hope he moves on.  I know that sounds harsh.  Maybe on a good day I'd offer him a moist towelette and a sandwich.   That still doesn't sound like how I'd want to be treating Jesus, does it?

(Enjoy Shaun the sheep.  I know I did!)

Our Redemption at Hand....

"And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand. "  Luke 21: 27-28
Maybe I'm guilty of focusing only on what I want to hear, but with the stuff going on today,  many people seem to be concerned that "the end is near".   People have said that for quite some time, but Tsunamis and Nuclear Power issues seem to have reached the thoughts of many, to the point that even those without faith are worried about the end of the world.   I don't want to worry.  I want to focus on "the end of the world"  meaning the day my redemption will be at hand.   Don't get me wrong:  I don't wish to speed things up.   I trust God's timing, and I pray for those who are being affected by the radiation.   I'm not okay with what is happening.  I'm just not afraid that it means the end of the world.
Remember when the movie 2012 came out?   My CCD students were buzzing about "the end of the world."   I told them that at the end of the world Jesus comes back.  I asked them if they love Jesus.   God bless them, their answer was "of COURSE we do", and not just "yes".   I told them that if they love Jesus, then meeting him when he comes back in power and glory will not be a scary thing, but exciting. (I do believe the Holy  Spirit helped me with that answer, because I don't think I ever spoke about the end of the world to a class in a prepared lesson, since I've always taught the young ones).
So anyways, I cling to knowing that the final outcome of the end of the world is my redemption.

Does anyone mind if I end this serious post with a joke?   If you do, then discontinue reading please, because I have been waiting to share this in cyber space for a while!

Ole is the pastor of the local Norwegian Lutheran Church, and Pastor Sven is the minister of the Swedish Covenant Church, which is just across the road.

One day they join forces and are seen pounding a sign into the ground, which says:

DA END ISS NEAR!
TURN YERSELF AROUNT NOW
BAFOR IT ISS TOO LATE!

As a car speeds past them, the driver leans out his window and yells, "Leave people alone, you Skandihoovian religious nuts!"

From the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash.

Shakin' his head, Rev. Ole says "Dat's da terd one dis mornin'."

"Yaa," Pastor Sven agrees, then asks, "Do ya tink maybe da sign should yust say, 'Bridge Out?'"