Can You Handle The Truth?

A man had a drinking problem. Before a bottle of wine, he is virtually powerless. He knew he had to break the vice so, for a start, he started reading medical journals to know more about the evils of drinking. After reading enough materials and being convinced of the hazards of drinking, he immediately vowed to stop reading medical journals.


That man wanted to know the truth but could not handle the truth. He found attraction in the truth but felt afraid of the consequences and the demands the truth would exact from him. So what did he do? He stopped his pursuit of the truth.

In the Gospel today, Herod is portrayed as someone intrigued by the message of John the Baptist. Luke recounts that every time John preached, Herod felt a certain attraction to John's words.

That is the nature of truth. When it is proclaimed, it never fails to strike a sympathetic chord in the heart. But truth can be threatening for it demands a corresponding action. It either affirms or convicts.

Herod was attracted by the message of John but he did not have the courage to give in to its demands. What did he do? He put John in prison.

God's truth comes to us in varied ways. Through persons, situations or some sort of religious experience, the truth of God seeks us out. But like Herod, we are afraid of truth's demands. We do not want the self-denial and conversion it entails. And so we imprison God's message. We leave God in a corner. We confine Him and make His message irrelevant to our daily lives.

Remember, God is a "polite" God. He can work in our lives only to the extent that we give Him "permission" to do so. This is what we mean when we say, grace builds on nature.

Unleash the power of God in your life. Call on Him. Open your heart. Do not be afraid of truth's demands. As Jesus assures in the Gospel, "You will discover the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

Reflection Question:
In what ways do you imprison the power of God's message? Do not be like the ostrich who buries its head in the sand in the face of a challenge. Face the truth of the Gospel and do not be afraid.

Lord Jesus, I don't want to be in prison. I want to be free. Entice my heart with the beauty of Your truth and allow me to rejoice in it. Amen.

Source: Kerygma Mailing List