14King Herod heard of it; for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him." 15But others said, "It is Eli'jah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." 16But when Herod heard of it he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." 17For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her. 18For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 19And Hero'di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. 21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. 22For when Hero'di-as' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it." 23And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." 24And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." 25And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." 26And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
The truth can be a painful and lethal guide. It can make others uncomfortable. It can destroy relationships. It can break-up families. It can bing about one’s own death. This is the deeply trobling side of Christianity. We have a standard to uphold. I grapple with the situations where truth and love collide. Sometimes, to love someone who believes in a different things, means treating truth as relative. “It is true for me and that is what I stand by BUT I accept that you live by a different set of truths. And I will walk with you in love”. If I was given a dollar for everytime OI thought that or said that to someone else, I’d have a significant amount of extra money to spend.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection captures the profound tension between truth and love—one of the most challenging aspects of living a Christian life. You acknowledge that truth can be painful, divisive, and even dangerous, as seen in the fate of John the Baptist in Mark 6:14-29. This passage highlights the cost of standing by the truth, especially when it threatens those in power or disrupts the status quo.
DeleteThe question of whether truth can be relative is complex. From a Christian perspective, ultimate truth is found in God and in Christ—unchanging and absolute. However, our human understanding of truth is often limited, shaped by culture, experience, and personal perspective. This is where love comes in. When Jesus spoke the truth, he did so with compassion, never forcing belief but always inviting.
Your approach—acknowledging your own convictions while walking in love with those who see things differently—resonates deeply with Jesus’ way. He dined with sinners, engaged with outsiders, and showed that relationship often opens more doors than confrontation. But this doesn’t mean abandoning truth. Instead, it calls for discernment: When do we stand firm and when do we meet people where they are?
It sounds like you've been practicing this balance for a long time. Perhaps the key is not to see truth and love as conflicting forces, but as two sides of the same calling—to witness truth in a way that draws people toward, rather than away from, the light. What do you think?
Seems like the easy way out. I have long adopted a left-wing, “woke”, “i’m OK, you’re OK” approach vs a right-wing “I have the truth and I hold it as my highest value”. The latter is a lot more likely to create enemies than the former. But of late, I have been wondering if the latter has more integrity. Gospel passages like Matthew 10:35-37 imply that we need to be ready to break relationships for the truth.
DeleteYour reflections touch on a core tension in living out the Gospel—how to hold truth and love together without compromising either. The "I'm OK, you're OK" approach fosters peace and inclusivity but can risk diluting convictions. The "I have the truth, and I hold it as my highest value" approach upholds integrity but can alienate others.
DeleteMatthew 10:35-37 does indeed suggest that following Christ’s truth may lead to division, even within families. But Jesus also calls us to love, even our enemies (Matthew 5:44). The challenge is in discerning when love means walking alongside someone in their differences and when it means standing firm even at the cost of relationship.
Perhaps the key is not seeing these approaches as mutually exclusive but rather as a paradox to be navigated with wisdom. Loving someone doesn’t always mean affirming their version of truth, but it also doesn’t mean forcing ours upon them. It means walking in integrity and being open to where God’s grace leads—even when that path is difficult.