THE OTHER TRUTH THAT HURTS

           Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

 And He said to the man who had the withered hand,  “Step forward.”

 Then He said to them,  “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”

 But they kept silent.

 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man,  “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  (Mark 3: 1-6)

Jesus was and is God Himself manifest for us in the flesh.  As God, Jesus knew what the people around Him were up to.  Jesus fully understood the principles of human behavior and what to expect in response to His action.

But when Jesus actually personally experienced those realities, the truth hurt.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. (Mark 6: 4-6)

In ancient prophetic revelation, God had already predicted that Jesus, like every prophet before Him, would be least understood and least appreciated by those He most personally loved.   But when Jesus experienced that directly and personally, it still blew His mind.  The truth hurt.

When we say, "The truth hurts," we usually mean that it hurts the ones hearing the truth about themselves. That's true, but there's more to it.

Sometimes the most hurtful truth is the revelation you receive about others. 

What hurts most is that moment when you realize:  Wait.  This is who you really are.  This isn't an act or a ploy to get your way or an error based on you misunderstanding me.  This is it.  This is you.

That truth hurts ----- no matter who you are.

So what do you do?

You do what Jesus did.  You hurt, and you keep right on healing.   You hurt and you feel useless, and then you keep right on preaching.

The truth is that the truth hurts.  But the Truth set the example of going on anyhow.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  (John 14:6)

Find your strength in the Truth and you’ll be able to handle the truth about anything and anyone else.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
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To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme.blogspot.com .

You can read more on Pastor Graves's personal blog at www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com  .

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