The Truth (Christ the King) (2021-11-21, Sunday-34)

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 Homily – Nov.  21, 2021  /  34^th (Christ King) (B)

● Daniel 7:13-14  ●   Psalm 93   ●  Revelation 1:5-8 ●  + John 18:33b-37 ●

Title:   The Truth    

[__00-a_]    This Gospel and reflection makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

I read this in an article about the “psychology of being honest or truthful”:

There is some evidence that we're able to believe we're honest even though we lie or cheat by doing so only in little ways.

We're therefore able to tell ourselves we're mostly honest—that is, we're only dishonest in ways that we think don't matter.

Is Pontius Pilate aware that he is not living completely truthfully? Or, maybe he thinks it does not matter.

Apparently this strategy works: most of us don't suffer serious cognitive dissonance over our integrity. Thus it seems we can have the best of both worlds without too much work: We can lie or cheat in little ways that place us at an advantage, but still get to view ourselves as fundamentally honest.

But, is it possible that the revelation of even a small lie will risk our reputation to others?

Is it possible that even a small lie will lead to another ?

Does lying cause us unnecessary distress?

 (Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-in-world/201402/why-be-honest)

The call to “truthfulness” does not mean we must disclose or divulge our personal affairs or reasons for doing something. There are some things that others do not need to be informed of or aware of.

 [__00-b_]   1 time many years ago, I took some of my co-workers out for lunch to a restaurant, I was the host for lunch, where I became the host for lunch. I paid for the whole lunch. So when at the conclusion of the dessert and meal, I said, Please give me the bill, I took the bill or “check”.  And I put the whole lunch on my credit card. And I considered at the time that this was going to be a business expense, and I would submit this receipt on my expense account.

So, I submitted the receipt for that restaurant bill to my boss to be reimbursed. As my employer, my boss asked me why I had submitted this bill, this receipt, what was the purpose of the lunch? Who was there? Was it really a business lunch? And why was it so expensive? My boss did not approve the expense. Because my boss and manager knew that either one or both of us would be in trouble if the company paid for a lunch that was really just a social gathering and not really a business expense. There are rules for such things.

It’s not just a business expense because I feel or say it is a business expense. There needs to be evidence, something verifiable, objectively true.

In this case, I stood corrected for doing something that I had recognize was not entirely honest. And I'm grateful for the correction. It cost me some money. But like they say on the old MasterCard credit commercial, the lunch in New York City cost X number of dollars. But the lesson in integrity was priceless.

My boss also took a special interest in me at the time and offered to pay 50% of the cost. This was extremely generous and not necessary. In this case, I'd say that there was both Justice and Mercy and that I learned a lesson in integrity and the danger of making concessions or cutting corners or looking for the easy way out. Honesty is the best policy.

[__00-c_]     Are you an honest person? Am I an honest person? I'm sure you'd say yes, I would say yes. Yet we're all tempted at times to make concessions or not hold to an objectively true standard.

Should I have offered to pay for the lunch for other people just because we were all on a common lunch break and worked for the same company?  No. I recall that my co-workers did not expect such treatment and said NO to my offer. I did it anyway.  When I asked for the bill, they were shocked that I would try to submit this as legitimate business expense. That should have been my first clue!

Sometimes when we live outside the truth or outside truthfulness, or outside the lines of honesty, there are signals that we are going wrong. And their visible reaction should have been a signal to me. And there was a signal in the Gospel today to Pontius Pilate  also has difficulty hearing the truth.

Pontius P has difficulty hearing the truth.

Is there a Pontius Pilate “personality” in you who has difficulty hearing the truth?

In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus concludes by addressing Pilate with these words:  “I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth, listens to my voice.”  (John 18:37)

To this, Pilate responds: “what is truth?”  (John 18:38)

[Repeat “above” verses.]

Pilate cannot -- or is not willing to hear -- the truth that Jesus is saying.

Jesus is willing to die, willing to be put to death accused of being a revolutionary and treasonous troublemaker. But these charges are not verifiable in the context of Pilates true system of “policing” and “prosecuting”, of “law and order”.

Pilate knew the charges were not true, that they weren't verifiable.

Pilate gives this “Jesus of Nazareth” chance to back out or to plead out, as they say on TV, in CSI or “Law & Order”.

Jesus gets the chance to deny that he's a king. And if only Jesus would deny his royal identity, say he's not the Son of God, then Pilate could make this whole messy trial go away. Then Pilate could expunge the record for Jesus of Nazareth.   

But Jesus is willing to do more than the official record requires.

Jesus is willing to die because Jesus knows the truth. And that he came to die in place of us for our sins. And that He is the Son of God, Jesus knows he's the son of God.

When Pilate accuses Jesus of being the Messiah, Son of God, a king, Jesus does not deny it.  Jesus knows that he's divine and that this truth is going to upset people going to make people anxious.

 

[__00-d_]      Why  Pontius Pilate doing this?  Pontius Pilate is doing this because he's really being used by – he is the tool of - some of the Jewish authorities. The Jewish authorities don't have the law enforcement capability or the punishing authority at the level of Pontius Pilate. They want to use Pilate to get to Jesus.

          Pilate represents the Roman Empire. So Jesus has been presented to Pilate as a revolutionary figure who threatens the government.

And Pilate goes along with the charges in order to remain popular.

What do I do in order to go along with others in order to remain popular or in order to maintain my perspective, prosperity or my position in my life?

When I think back to that restaurant lunch example, I wasn't just treating the group so that I could save them a few dollars, or save me a few dollars or bucks.

I also wanted to puff myself up, and my position to them, I wanted to look like I was important. And guess what, I'm not even sure they remember that I paid for the lunch!

I don't think they even remember whether I was proud or arrogant or self serving on that particular day.

Because in a matter of honesty and truth, such things don't cling to the bystanders, they cling to the person doing them. And I am called to own that.

And I still have to ask myself, not the question that Pilate asked what is truth, though there is as though there is never an objective standard of what's true. But rather to ask who is truth, Jesus is truth, and who is capable of teaching me the truth?

We are capable of sharing the truth with others of being Christ to others.

Why are parents called to teach their children about honesty, and even to correct them? In such moments of dishonesty? Why are teachers called to do the same thing? They're called to do that because we are all tempted to cut corners or concede to the truth. And it's truly a gift to be corrected, a gift to be corrected by someone who loves us by someone who cares about us to be correct or to be corrected in our conscience by God who loves us and gave His life for us. It's better to be corrected, even to be caught to be reminded of the truth by someone interested in our welfare than by someone who is not. Jesus is interested in your welfare. The truth of the Gospel is that Jesus is here for our welfare for our good, he is dying for you for me. This is the truth.