Pontius Pilate asks an age old question when he asks Jesus to explain to him the nature of truth. Reading the dialogue between them, one could argue that Jesus seems cryptic (almost evasive) in his responses to Pilate’s questions. The Roman governor must have been vexed by this Jewish rabbi who did not seem desperate or even eager to “get himself off the hook.”
In our post-modern age, truth is defined by many as whatever you need to believe to advance your agenda i.e. whatever you need it to be. Thus it is that we watch “spin meister” pundits blunt questions with totally unrelated, pre-scripted answers. Advance the agenda. Thwart the opposition.
Perhaps it is for these reasons that the responses of Jesus are such a contrast. He was not trying to say anything or do anything to appease a powerful governor. His responses seem more calculated to aggravate than to placate. And as persons of faith we understand that it wasn’t because Jesus didn’t care . Nor was he a merry Prankster or anarchist just trying to play havoc with the establish power of Rome. Rather, Jesus had a strong sense of what was true for him and true for the world and he lived his life by that.
Today, take time to dig down and discover old truths that you once embraced but have now abandoned. It may be just what you need to get back on track.
