Again Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” Then the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:21-32
Today we celebrate Labor Day and are overwhelmed with sale ads and the push to culminate summer with the best barbeque or party ever. Yet, in truth, the holiday we celebrate is hard won. For so much of history including American history, the folks who did all the labor had no voice. Slavery was the cheapest, most reliable labor and our whole country participated in the slave trade. Even after the Civil War, it took generations to have some laws about how workers were treated. We still have unfair labor laws. Between those who work in the food industry serving and those who work in at-will states (just as an example), those who labor in our great nation are poorly treated and voice-less. We need to see and hear the truth. We need to know that spin is just spin, and not the truth, no matter how tempting non-truth might look. Faithfulness as Christians means we face and accept the truth.
Jesus was teaching people who were having a hard time understanding. True learning is often hard work. It doesn't come sugar coated and Jesus never sugar coated the truth or made it easy for his followers. He did tell stories or parables to illustrate things but he asked them always to face the truth. And he promise freedom in living in the truth, as difficult as the truth might be. Those who feared him called him a liar and eventually executed him. Truth makes people squirm, often, but will make us free. We, brothers and sisters, on this labor day, must face the truth, accept the hard calls, follow Jesus and be set free.
Today, I ask God to help my work be truthful and loving. May we all be set free by God's love as we share the truth, trusting God and not laying our burdens on others.
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