The Truth Will Make You Free

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 

It is sometimes hard to accept the turth and even harder when the truth is not pretty or reveals a terrible thing someone you love has done. Yet pretending that all is well, when it is not, or defending the behavior, can destroy generations to come. Freedom comes when we embrace thr truth, all the truth, the good, the bad and the ugly. The losses we face as we age, help us to let go and move on. We can choose to deny the truth but them we bind ourselves forever.

Jesus tells the followers very openly that he is going away. They don't want to hear it so they make up cover stories, excuses, and other narratives. Yet Jesus promises that if they turn and face the truth, no matter how hard it might be, they will know freedom, real freedom. If we are honest with ourselves, and faith the truths revealed, we will be made whole and freed to love.

Today, my choice is being made free to love. May God give us all the strength to face the truth, so that we can turn, repent and be set free.