Truth reigns

Then Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace and the whole company gathered round him. They stripped off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on him. Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on his head and put a stick in his right hand; then they knelt before him and made fun of him. ‘Long live the King of the Jews!’ they said.
(verses 27-29)

Read Matthew 27:24-31

There was a girl at school the other children decreed was ugly. She was plain, had an acne problem, but, more to the point, she had very low self-esteem. One boy was dared to kiss her. A large giggling group watched as his lips brushed her cheek and he said softly, ‘You’re beautiful’. For a moment she was transformed. Her eyes shone and a lovely smile lit her face. Then the taunts began, ‘Hey, look! She believes you!’ ‘He didn’t mean it, stupid’, and suddenly she was ugly again, upset and confused.

The boy meant his words to hurt, because, to him, they were obviously false. But the truth remained. She was beautiful, if only she had been given a chance.

The soldiers mocked Jesus. ‘Long live the King of the Jews!’ they cried, not realising that in their sarcasm the truth reigned. Jesus was and still is king—King of the Jews and of all people everywhere. And today you live in the light of his grace because of that very truth. Praise the Lord!

Lord, please help me to use my words to uplift others, not to belittle or hurt them. Let me use my speech to glorify you and your ways. Amen.

by Kathy Hoopman, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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