Truth...Audible Light

~~~~ 2 Tim. 2: 8-15 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ Mark 12: 28-34 ~~~



I could not but help thinking about attorneys in a courtroom arguing

their client's side of the case...'stop disputing about words'.

We are a culture of words...we love words...we use words for all sorts of reasons...

we even create our own words for local things.

Paul goes on to say, 'This (disputing) serves no useful purpose

since it harms those who listen'.

Okay I am probably guilty of using words that harmed someone else;

even if it was unintentional. We are indirectly harmed by words heard

from the media and those in authority positions.

Pause for a moment to examine the words you use and

the intention with which you have spoken them.

We can become confused and misled by the words of others.

We can be deceived by the words of others.

Paul completes his thought with some advice.

"Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God,

a workman who causes no disgrace,

imparting the word of truth without deviation."

"...Imparting the word of truth..."

Herein lies the tricky part; that is what is the truth. It seems pretty easy to think that what you hear or read is mostly the truth, but in reality that is not always the case.

Flash back to the courtroom scenerio for a moment...

Which side is representing the truth?

It is often hard to decipher.

I have gotten numerous emails passed on to me that look and sound true,

only to discover through further checking that they are indeed false.

Speaking the truth takes great virtue and a strong character.

The truth is not always what others prefer to hear.

Which leads me to the exchange between Jesus and one of the Scribes from today's gospel recorded in Mark. Jesus uses words of truth to answer the scribes question,

...the Lord our God is Lord alone...

The scribe recognizes the words spoken by Jesus as truth...

A rare occasion when these opposite sides so readily agree.

The words used by Jesus resonated as truth directly to the heart of the scribe.

The words of Jesus were transparent with truth even if they fell on deaf ears

or were not fully comprehended by the listeners.

Speak words of truth, but temper them with compassion.

For words spoken in haste can leave vicious bite marks.

Let your words be the audible lights of truth.