“Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:48)

These are the words of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who was sitting beside the road outside of Jericho as Jesus passed by.  He wanted Jesus to heal him of his blindness.  Mark tells us that the crowd was rebuking Bartimaeus to be quiet, but he shouted all the more.  Jesus rewarded his perseverance, restored his sight and said, “Your faith has healed you.”  

On another occasion, the disciples were trying to prevent people from bringing their little children to Jesus.  Jesus indignantly said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  He took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”  (Mark 10:13-16) 

On both occasions, the crowd and the disciples were misguided in trying to protect Jesus from people seeking his presence, blessing and healing.  They didn’t understand that all of Jesus’ actions were about ushering in the kingdom of God by bringing God’s presence, love, and healing to the people of their day. 

Jesus continues to bring God’s presence, love and healing in our day to all who seek him through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is important that we not participate in the action of the crowd that hinders someone in their quest for Jesus.  This is particularly true with respect to raising our children in the Christian faith. 

In a similar way, we must guard against letting others hinder us in fulfilling God’s will in serving him and the people in our lives.  When I was in my early 30’s I occasionally found myself going along with other people in my office in stopping at a local watering hole after work.  This would result in my getting home late and missing dinner with my family.  Fortunately, after experiencing a special encounter with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I preferred to be home with my wife and family.    

It is tempting to go with the flow of the crowd and do what seems popular and easy, but the crowd seldom gets it right. It was the crowd that yelled, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!” (Mt. 27:22-23)  It was the crowd in the Roman Colosseum that took delight in the killing of Christians in the early centuries of the church. 

One of the laws God gave to Moses was, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” (Exodus 32:2)  After more than three thousand years, this is still an important rule to follow. 

Are there times when you have been tempted to follow the will of the crowd instead of God?

“When Herod heard John [the Baptist] he was greatly puzzled, yet he liked to listen to him.” (Mark 6:20)  After Herod had John imprisoned, he would visit him, apparently fascinated by the things that John had to say.  Why did Herod like to listen to John?  Because John spoke the truth, and truth is attractive. 

Jesus told Pilate that the reason he came into the world was to testify to the truth.  Pilate asked, “What is truth, though the embodiment of all truth was standing right in front of him?  (John 18:37-38)

There is a purity in the truth that makes it attractive.  We have several common expressions about truth:  “Honesty is the best policy;” “As God is my witness;” “As a matter of fact;” “The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” 

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teachings, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:32) There is freedom that comes with the truth – freedom from guilt, fear, and sin.  All four gospels report how people were amazed at the wisdom of Jesus’ teachings and how he taught with authority.  Truth carries a certain authority with it.

From earliest childhood, our sinful human nature tends to obscure the truth to protect our selfish instincts.  One sibling blames another for starting a fight that the first sibling initiated.  We begin to lie to cover up misbehavior and sinful conduct.  Without strong parental guidance and moral teaching, truth is increasingly pushed aside.

As a lawyer, I was regularly called on to interpret whether certain proposed actions of corporate clients were consistent with applicable law.  Sometimes, a proposed action was in direct conflict with what a particular law or regulation required.  I would have to overcome the tendency to tell the affected manager what he wanted to hear, and instead hold to the truth that his proposed action would run afoul of the law.  In those cases, I would always try to suggest alternative actions that would satisfy both the client objective and the law.  

Truth is attractive; sets us free, and helps us live out our lives with confidence. 

As we celebrate the 247^th anniversary of our nation’s birth this day, even our founders recognized the significance of truth in our founding documents: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness –“

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  (John 14:6)

How do you deal with the challenges to truth in your life?