Jesus the Luminary
Part 4 | Return to Who is Jesus
Opening question
Was there anything that you believed in your childhood that ended up not being true?
The truth about lies
Have you ever been swept up in a lie? There are plenty of recent historical examples of how entire communities can be, whether that’s the popularity of smoking in the 20th century or the belief that aliens exist on Mars. It’s tempting to think that those in the past were so gullible and naive. This is what author C.S. Lewis would call “chronological snobbery,” the innate human bias to think we’re smarter than people who came before us and therefore new ideas are better or more truthful than old ones.
In many ways, this is true–our cumulative human knowledge has grown. But in other ways, knowledge does not directly lead to human flourishing. Consider the report that happiness levels have been declining in the US since the ‘60s. We also know from individuals’ stories that it’s possible to live years, even decades, under lies. For example, consider these ideas:
I’m never good enough
I have to do well in school for my life to have meaning
If anyone actually knew me, they would reject me
Perhaps you’ve seen similar examples in the lives around you. Author John Mark Comer defines truth simply as, “reality, or that which corresponds to reality.” When we call something a lie, we mean it doesn’t correspond to reality. We all live with a collection of ideas about what is true. Some of the core questions behind humanity are: What is the meaning and purpose of life? What does it mean to be human? What is the good life? Which leads to the question: how do we know truth?
Jesus taught to change lives
Jesus came as a rabbi, or a luminary teacher. Jesus claimed that he could give us insight into reality, or in other words, ways of living in congruence with God’s wisdom and good intentions for his creation.
“Jesus said, “If you hold onto my teaching, you really are my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:31-32)
Jesus claimed that humans are in bondage to false ideas about reality that hold our souls and society in captivity to suffering and pain, and that he came to liberate us with truth. While this sounds foreign in our culture, consider the possibility that it is not arrogant for one to claim to have knowledge of reality. For example, no one would ever say “Who am I to tell someone else that two plus two equals four?” Jesus later identifies the existence of an enemy who is anti-truth:
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native experience, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
We might find the idea of a devil ridiculous as it brings to mind images from movies or media, but for Jesus, there is an invisible but intelligent evil at work in the world, whose primary strategy is deception and lie-telling and whose goal is the ruining of souls and societies. When we consider the unexplainable evil in the world, Jesus’ perception of reality might seem more plausible.
But mere knowledge of truth doesn’t lead to transformation. Professor Laurie Santos calls this the GI Joe fallacy: simply knowing something is not enough to change. The problem isn’t just that we believe lies, it’s that we live them. Jesus not only offers us the information about truth, but he offers us a kind of knowledge that changes lives.
Reflection questions
How do you know that something is true?
What are your assumptions about reality regarding these questions, and where do they come from?
What is the meaning and purpose of life?
What does it mean to be human?
What is the good life?
Exercise
Throughout this next week, take notice of a thought that you have regularly (i.e. about yourself, others, or the world). As you recognize this thought, practice wondering whether this thought is true or not.
Read Psalm 23, and consider the possibility of these words being reality.