An older brother, fed up with his annoying younger brother, chased the younger down a hall and into a closet. After the closet was closed, the older of the two braced his foot against the door so his brother could not get out. He then realized a problem: while he didn’t want his younger brother to escape the closet, he also didn’t want to spend the day holding the door shut. But an ingenious little lie came to his mind that might free him of his younger brother without demanding that he spend the day holding the closet door shut. When the younger brother begged for release the older replied, “No, I found the key to this door and I’ve locked it. There’s no use trying to get out.” The lie worked. There was no way to lock the closet door, but the younger brother believed the lie and didn’t even try turning the doorknob. The older brother was free, at least till his parents came home.



Truth is important. Our choices, actions and decisions, are determined by what we believe to be true. The way we relate to others, how we earn and spend money and use the gifts God has given, the way we spend our time, even our spiritual efforts are all guided by what we believe to be true. So, we ask the question, “What is truth?”, because knowing what is true is important. It wasn’t the older brother who kept the younger brother imprisoned in a closet, but a lie; to be set free, the younger brother needed truth.



Lies hold us back: we’ve probably all experienced this in some way. There’s always that scam to watch out for, that person on the phone pretending the be the CRA hoping to grab our banking information. There’s always that fear that we could unknowingly be in the same position as that younger brother, believing a lie which keeps us locked away from some freedom granting truth. So, we ask, “What is truth?” But we had best be directing this question to a good source of truth, we had best be seeking answers in the right places.



After God created Adam and Eve and revealed his greatness and goodness, the first couple began looking for truth in places apart from God. “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat?”[i] The couple believed the creature more than the maker, worst decision ever made, they traded life-giving truth for lies. Since then, we’ve all become so accustomed to accepting lies in place of truth that sometimes we can’t recognize truth even when it stands before our eyes.



During Pilot’s interrogation, Jesus proclaimed, “…I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”[ii] Before him stood God, but Pilot couldn’t recognize the truth. He had undoubtedly heard of the many miracles; those who sought death for Jesus didn’t deny the goodness or power of the miracles. The devil is shrewd enough to root his lies in some truth, often beginning with an attack on humility, on what appears weak. He tempts us to ask, “How could something small be something great?” How could a piece of fruit usher death into the world? How could a tiny embryo be a human being? How could suffering have value? How could two imperfect people ever be expected to devote themselves to each other for life? How could great sins ever be forgiven in a confession? How could God come into our presence under the appearances of bread and wine?



For pilot, one man seemed insignificant compared to the task of keeping the peace. For the crowds so caught up by the apparent smallness of Jesus, the miraculous evidence that testified to his divinity was forgotten. They wondered how Jesus could be God if he sleeps or eats or bleeds? How could Jesus be the Saviour if he allows himself to be arrested? How could he really be a king without a throne? The lies worked, and the crowds called for the death of God. Like Adam and Eve, so many were willing to trade life-giving truth for lies.



This is a path easy for us to follow too. We proclaim that Jesus is our king and that we have placed him first in our lives. But then we’re tempted. We’re told that words are small and then easily entertain gossip or adopt the language of those around us, even when it’s foul. Media proposes to be innocent; so, we unwittingly expose ourselves to whatever is recommended by algorithms when the screen should just be turned off. When we believe faith is small, attempts to publicly share the Good News or demonstrate faith are extinguished. When the call to love is suggested to be a suggestion, it’s easy to see others as obstacles instead of opportunity to honour God.



All this happens because, at least in brief moments, we look for truth in the wrong places. Pilot missed truth because he caved to the mindset of the crowds, allowing popular opinion to define truth. The crowds missed truth because they forgot about the greatness of Jesus and thought his human nature to be weakness. Adam and Eve missed truth because they stopped listening to our creator for truth and instead listened to one of his creatures.



This feast of Christ the King presents an opportunity to take a good look at where we go to seek truth, to look at how we might allow ourselves to be influenced and blinded by the opinions of others or by the culture we live in and how we might do better at allowing ourselves to be influenced instead by the love of Jesus, putting God first. To see truth, we might learn more about the life of Jesus, who is truth, by looking at his life, works and message in the scriptures. To recognize the presence of truth, we might examine how Jesus has been working in the lives of people today, including the lives of each one of us. To witness the power of truth, we might listen to the teachings of our church and the saints.



One month from now we celebrate Christmas, the moment when Jesus took on human nature and entered the world. Much closer than that, Jesus comes into our presence today, in this Mass. Let’s be sure that we can recognize truth. Let’s be sure that we don’t miss him but instead welcome him and truth today, at Christmas and everyday. Let’s be sure that we are never willing to trade the life-giving truth of God for lies.



King of all goodness, through your Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts so we can recognize your presence, power and love in this place. Through our worship, may we be made ready to receive you in the Eucharist, honour you in our acts throughout the week and witness to you in how we treat others. This prayer we offer in your name always. Amen.







[i] Genesis 3:1 NRSVCE



[ii] John 18:37 NRSVCE

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