When I was a child, I decided everyone gets an equal amount of hurt and happiness—that our pleasures and pains balance out. My parents told me I was crazy. Both of them went on about how much worse some people had it. What if no one loved you? What if you were paralyzed? What if you got cancer as a child and spent years in pain then died before you were ten years old?
They were right. Our lives do not even out. There is no real justice on earth. Justice comes in heaven, where God’s grace makes all things new.
One person who had a harder life than most was Jesus. Consider this prophecy:
“This child will cause the rise and fall of many in Israel. In the end, He will lay bare the secrets thoughts of many hearts. He will be a significant person whom many will oppose. Mary, a sword will pierce even your own soul” Luke 2:34-35.
Why would people oppose Jesus? They thought he was conceived out of wedlock. Many were jealous when He had so many followers. Others were angered by the things He said publicly. Still others were angry He did not do enough to oppose Roman rule.
But these verses indicate “He will lay bare the secret thoughts of many hearts.” People hated Jesus because His life and words proved them to be frauds and hypocrites. They could not stand that. So they killed him.
Even Mary would suffer: “a sword will pierce your very soul.”
But Jesus was a truth-teller. It was because of His integrity that He suffered: He had the courage to speak the truth and He was hated for it.
We will also be opposed when we speak the truth. We must use wisdom and love in our speech, and sometimes we should ask for godly advice before saying something that will make enemies of friends.
But we must speak truth—even if it causes us to face opposition. Be a truth-teller.
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Household Words: 