Without Truth there is no Moral Authority

Luke 23:1-5

In the last few months I’ve had two people that I am acquainted with who have been arrested and charged with a crime.  It has been more than an eye opener, it makes one have great doubt about our system, and the total process, for it comes down to this one fact, do the people who have the authority to issue the arrest have integrity?  Are they honorable or have they let the power invested in them to do what is lawful become tarnished and can they be bought or have set themselves up as both the one issuing the arrest warrant and the judge, without investigating before doing harm to a person? 

It should not come as a surprise, that people of low moral character gravitate to places of authority, such as politicians, and many are lawyers and have taken an oath to uphold the laws.  Evil people can put on a great show, but a conman is still a conman whether he wares a black robe in a court of law or a clerical collar, or has the title of preacher, senator, congressman/woman or President of the United States.  And such people have always been part of this human experience we call life on planet earth.

I want you to see how this was played out when Jesus was arrested and taken to Pilate, and we will begin in Luke’s account in chapter 23 and verses 1-5.  “Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

Now do you recall in Luke 20:19-25 how these people of so called moral authority the chief priest and the scribes sent spies to pretend they were sincere and ask Jesus this question; “Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”  

But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar's.” He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God’s, it was not about truth, it is about getting rid of Truth.

Now without Truth, and Jesus is Truth and Life to all who seek Him, but without Truth, there is no moral authority.  Now for those who have the Truth living inside of them, remember these words of Jesus; "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”  (John 15:18-19)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice