Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, 'You will become free?'" Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you. I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence; then do what you have heard from the Father."

In the final session of the movie "Courage Under Fire," Colonel Nate Serling clearly states what should be a guide for every Christian in the world. He tells his commanding officer that the military must tell the complete truth and until they do, they dishonor every soldier that ever died in combat. It is the statement that implies a Christian understanding of life since it was Jesus who supplied the reasoning for it. He told his followers: "The truth will set you free."

Every family in our world probably emphasizes at one time or another the importance of telling the truth to each other. Parents teach their children over and over the evils of lying and what it does to them. But all too often, the common complaint of parents concerning their children and teenagers is that they do not tell the truth or do not tell the complete truth. In fact, it happens so often that a concerned person might well wonder whether young people ever understand the importance of the truth.

There is no doubt that the truth will set us free as Jesus instructs his disciples. The question must be asked however whether we, and especially our young people, truly accept such a fact. If Christian people do not truly understand the importance of the truth as a fundamental step in living a good Christian life, perhaps there will be no truth sacred enough to honor.      

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son told us that the truth will set us free. Although we believe his words, often we do not value the truth the way that we should: we lie, we do not tell the whole truth, we exaggerate. Help us understand the importance of the truth, and then be willing to share it. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America