Kierkegaard wrote, “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”* We are inundated with examples of both: people believe “fake news” they encounter on the Internet, and some refuse to see the truth that scientists and experts tell us. For those who are concerned with truth, this can be frustrating.
Jesus says he is “the truth” (John 14:6), a truth that is rejected by some. They want proof, but when presented with miraculous healings and authoritative teaching, that is not sufficient. Like many today, they seem willfully blind to what is right in front of them. Jesus contrasts this rejection with the acceptance of God’s message by the people of Nineveh (enemies of Israel) or the acknowledgement of the wisdom of Solomon by the Queen of Sheba.
Reference to Ninevah and Sheba points to the gospel moving beyond the borders of Palestine. The truth is there for all, the death of Jesus and his resurrection three days later (the sign of Jonah) is a sign for all the world of the verity of Jesus.
* Soren Kierkegaard, Works of Love, (HarperCollins, 1962), p.23
God of wisdom, may we always look to Jesus for the truth that brings life. Keep us from distraction by that which is false or misleading. Help us ground our lives in the message of Jesus, the source of love and truth. Amen. — DH