Truth Be Told - Jesus Has the Last Word

Its important for us to be honest ! Straight forward, truthful - especially with the people who are important in our life - even when the truth is difficult - sooner or later the truth is told !

A policeman pulls a driver over for severing in and out of lanes on the highway. He tells the driver to blow into a portable Breathalyzer. The man interrupts the officer,“ I can’t do that officer, I’m asthmatic. I could get an asthma attack if I blow into the tube”

Ok, the officer, trying to accomodate says " we will have you come into the police station and we will give you a cup and..." The driver interrupts the officer, "I can’t do that I am a diabetic and I could get low blood sugar if I go into a cup. "

The officer then says - "alright, we could get a blood sample then." The man interrupts the officer, "I can’t do that either because I am a hemophiliac. If I give you blood, I could die."

Then the officer said - "Sir, just get out of the car and walk this white line of the road way." The man interrupts the officer, "I can’t do that either officer." Totally flustered the officer asked - "Why not?" The man replies - "Because I’m drunk!"

Sooner or later the truth is told !

Truth be told ! The explosions of the past week in Boston raise many questions, especially for parents, people of faith, and generally anyone just looking for answers!

We cannot help but look at an act of violence that was not random but a very calculated and ask, “Why?” Why would someone do such a thing? While we are relieved that the people who executed the bombings were caught, we never will really understand why people choose to do such things.

Truth be told - it is a mystery ! The only explanation for such acts is the reality of evil. Evil is a mystery. We can never completely understand it.

However, here are two truths we do know !!!!

One, that the two brothers who did this horrific act somehow were deceived that this was a good idea or that somehow such an action was justified. Our thoughts drive our emotions and eventually drive our actions. Somehow in their mind they came to think their actions were somehow justified or right or even in some warped way good.

The human mind can go totally and completely wrong if not fixed on what is good and true and beautiful and divine. Thus the reason why in the Gospel (John 10:27-30) of today Jesus says to His followers; “ I am the Good Shepherd; My sheep hear my voice.” We must be attentive to the influences of our lives and our hearts.

What we say; how we say it, who we surround ourselves with, what we watch or even what we surf and check out - does influence us ! It becomes a voice that competes with the Good Shepherd. What we believe can’t just be founded upon our good feelings, a catchy saying, or what we think is right or what feels right at that moment:

- it must be rooted - rooted in Jesus Himself!

- it must be planted - planted in the Scripture and Traditions of the Church

- it must be tended - tended by daily prayer, honouring the Lord’s Day, regular participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation which keeps us accountable not to ourselves - but to our Shepherd and His will and way for our life !

The second truth we know is this - That God can bring good out of evil.

Remember where we have been in our Easter Season so far:

 Easter Sunday: Jesus was anything but Ordinary & Routine! He handles pressure cookers

 Divine Mercy Sunday: Even in our unbelief - Thomas - The King Still Has One More Move

 3rd Sunday of Easter: We are called to Be Bold - live a caffeinated faith that leads us to answer “Yes Lord I love you” - even when the world is mixed up !

When Jesus saw evil, He brought good out of it - The Cross and The Tomb prove that! Evil can inflict  wounds, it did even on the body of the Son of God - His hand, His feet, His side. But it does not have the final word. The Cross and The Tomb prove that!

Evil can believe that it won the day - Apostles stoned by crowds, St Peter crucified on a tree, St Paul beheaded, Martyrs killed, Saints slain - but the Church and the Christian faith prove that Christ would have the last word thru the good it does, the kindness we shows, the faith we are called to be witnesses to!

★ God can always, always, always bring good out of evil.

★ God can bring redemption out of pain and suffering as he did through the cross.

★ Bringing good out of evil is what God does.

Truth be told - there will be evil in our world - there is evil in our world; no excuse will take that way and that is why this is not called Heaven and this is not our final home.

But evil does not have to have the last word; and this is why we are His people, the sheep of His flock - listen to Him in the chaos, look for Him in the confusion, seek Him in the catastrophes. My sheep hear my voice - don’t stop listening - because He is still speaking - He has the last word - and that is the truth !

The King Still Has One More Move: Mercy

John Ortberg wrote in his book, It All Goes Back Into the Box, the story of two men in a museum who saw a painting of a chess game.

One character in the painting looked like a man and the other looked very much like the devil. The man was down to his last piece. The title of the painting was “Checkmate.” One of the two men looking at the painting was an international chess champion. Something about the painting intrigued him. He began to study it. He grew so engrossed that the man with him got a little impatient and asked what he was doing. The chess champion said, “Something about this painting bothers me. I want to study it for a while and you go ahead and wander around.”

When the friend came back, the chess master said, “We must locate the man who painted this picture. We must tell him he must either change the picture or change the title. I have determined there is something wrong with it. His friend asked, “What’s wrong with the painting?” The man replied,“ It is titled Checkmate, but the title is wrong. The game is not over.” Then pointing to one of the pieces on the chessboard he said “The king still has one more move.”

That is the Easter message. The King still has one more move.

 When you think it is over, done, finished, that you can’t go on,

 That the obstacles are too big, the grief is too intense, the failure too final, the disappointment too deep, the hurt too horrible, the debt too large,

 When you are ready to throw in the towel, disappear into despair, wallow in self-pity, or live in sadness,

Easter says, “The King still has one more move.” Remember, the tomb is empty.

In John 20:19-31 (the Gospel of this Sunday), the Disciples were locked in a room and the Gospel writer tells us they were filled with fear. They believed that death had “checkmated” them and that it was over! Jesus came into their midst and offered them “Peace” and showed them His hands and side. Then “sent them” forward!

He told them it was not over - they still could “play on”, they could still move forward, they could still continue.

We are an Easter people - a people of Hope, a people of renewal, a people of baptismal life!

God always has the last word, the final move, and to those who belong to Jesus Christ, it is a good move. O, but we are also a “Thomas people” are we not! “ I will not believe”.....”unless I see, unless I touch, I will not believe”

But our Saviour - our King - is totally amazing, totally loving

That’s the message of His Divine Mercy: Here is what Pope Francis reminds us about Gods Mercy:

God's face is the face of a merciful father who is always patient. Have you thought about God's patience, the patience He has with each one of us? That is His mercy. He always has patience, patience with us, He understands us, He waits for us, He does not tire of forgiving us if we are able to return to Him with a contrite heart.      - Pope Francis, 17 March 2013 -

Remember from Easter Sunday - One thing about Jesus is that He was anything but routine and ordinary, no where in scripture does it say that Jesus did the ordinary routine thing - nor that people were bored around Him.

They might have been puzzled at what He said, confused about what He did, angry at His response - but never did they think He was ordinary or routine.

Jesus taught like no one ever taught, lived like no one ever lived, loved like no one ever loved.

Jesus met Thomas where he was at - even the point of doubt - and said - let me know you the move! “Touch, doubt no longer but believe” (c.f. John 20:19-31)

To believe in Easter is to know that God will not let His purpose for your life wind up in tragedy.

Neither will He allow you to live in despair and hopelessness. The King has one more move.

He has a future for you, and Easter says your future will be more glorious that your past.

Someone once wrote, “The nicest place to be is in someone’s thoughts. The safest place to be is in someone’s prayers, and the best place to be is in God’s hands.”

I think there is a lot of wisdom there!

Let’s place ourselves this Easter Season in God’s hands - wounded by the cross, marked by the nails but belonging to a God who is willing to show them to us and very open to where we are at to give us hope

This Easter, remember, the King has one more move.