"If I tell the truth, why then do you not believe me?" John 8:46
The Gospel of John is adamant about Jesus being the "truth." Among the numerous proclamations of this is one of the most famous lines found in verse 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life..."
On the occasion when Jesus asked, "If I tell the truth, why then do you not believe me?", he was in the temple teaching a group of people. Part of his lesson (verses 31 and 32) was that for those who believed in him, they shall know the truth, and the truth shall make them free.
Free? Free from what? All these verses on truth point to the same thing; the very things that encapsulate our souls preventing us from believing in him, are the very same things that we can be free of if we do believe in him. Perhaps this is another spiritual conundrum whose single key unlocks multiple doors.
The soul each of us has been given includes the image of God. It's like a shining light bulb inside of us that is supposed to represent God's unique reflection through us. But over time it gets coated with layers of dust and dirt as we travel through life. This dust and dirt comes in the form of illusions, false desires, prejudices, guilt, biases, arrogance, fear, shame, and hatred, to name a few; things we pick up from societal programming, peer pressure, false teachings. The coating over our light bulbs grows into a dysfunctional ego, taking on a life of its own, gradually dimming our true light, and is made up of the very things that keep us from believing the truth. A dysfunctional ego does not want to know the truth, because the truth would destroy it.
Saul's light bulb was cleaned off by Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Jesus asked. Saul saw the true light, which allowed his own true light to shine forth once again. He was brought to an awareness of the truth, and as a result freed himself from the hatred and illusions he held.
When Jesus asks us, "Why then do you not believe me?", he is asking us to specifically name the things covering our own light bulbs. When we become truly aware of these things, we begin to see how silly and wrong they are, and they begin to fall off like the scales from Saul's eyes. Untruths, when held up to the true Light, fade away.
What impact does this Gospel reflective question have on your life? What things can you name that are covering your soul? Take some time with this and write down your responses in your journal. Share your thoughts with trusted advisors and counselors.
May God be with you on your journey!
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
