“”You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.””
(John 6:67-69NIV)
One of the things our Lord was known for during His days here on earth was saying things the way they were. He never lied to anybody about anything. He always told them the truth. And He did that, regardless of how they felt or what they thought.
Now, of course, it was not as if it was always convenient or pleasant for the Lord to say the truth all the time. No! In fact, saying the truth constantly exposed Him to persecutions of all kinds and public ridicule. Then, apart from the fact that it led to His death, it also led many of His disciples to abandon Him at some point (John 6:53-66). It was so serious that, as we see in our opening text, He even had to ask His twelve apostles if they too would leave Him because of the things He was saying or not.
So, we see that the Lord was committed to declaring the truth to the people, even if it would make everybody abandon Him, as everyone eventually did. And why? Why would He say the truth, when He knew it would endanger His life and also make people abandon Him? First, it was because it was His duty before God to tell them the truth. Otherwise He would not be innocent of their blood, if they should perish because of their ignorance of the truth. (Cf. Ezek 33:1-9; Acts 20:26-27)
The second reason the Lord told the people the truth, regardless of how they felt or responded, was that He knew that people would ultimately do whatever they had in mind to do, irrespective of what you say to them or do for them. In other words, it is only those who truly want to do the will of God that will do it, when confronted with the truth. Those who have no intention of pleasing God will never do so, even if you confront them with the truth. So, why don’t you just tell them the truth and be innocent of their blood, instead of pampering them with lies.
Often, we refrain from telling people the truth about us, them or God because we do not want to see them respond in certain ways. But inasmuch as telling them the truth is for the greater good, the best thing we can do for anyone, if we truly love them, is to tell them the truth and let them deal with it. If it will make them cry, let them cry. If it will make them insult us, then, let us prepare to receive their insults. And even if it will make them leave us, then, let it be.
See, as I pointed out already, regardless of what you do for people or say to them, in the light of the truth, it is what they have in mind to do that they will ultimately do. For instance, despite all that the Lord Jesus did for Judas Iscariot and also said to him, he still went ahead and betrayed Him. And despite all the truth He taught the Jews and all the miracles He performed to make them whole and happy, they still chose a murderer instead of Him. Then, despite all that God did for the children of Israel that He brought out of Egypt through Moses and also said to them, at some point, they still said that they were going back to Egypt.
So, if someone will abandon you, they will still someday abandon you, whether you tell them the truth they are hiding from or not. Why not tell them the truth anyway? And if someone will insult you or even hurt you, they will certainly do so at some point, regardless of what you say to them or do for them. Therefore, confront them with the truth they need to know and stop bothering yourself about how they will take it. By doing this, you will know that you are not to blame for whatever happens to them as a result of their rejection of the truth. And what if they embrace the truth and act on it? You will have saved a soul!
But then, do not mistake what I am saying here and begin to arrogantly or foolishly hurt people, all in the name of telling them the truth. Saying the truth, especially as it concerns people’s private matters or reputation, requires wisdom. Otherwise we may end up doing them and even ourselves more harm than good. So, learn to think well before you declare your so-called truth. And may God continually keep your heart strengthened in His truth. Amen.
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By: J.O. Lawal | Date: July 15, 2020 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 9