Facts or Truth?

The disciples, “Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?” Jesus, “I’m telling you, Elijah has already come but they didn’t know him when they saw him. They treated him like dirt, the same way they are about to treat the Son of Man.” Matthew 17:10, 12 (The Message)

How do you size up the truth? Sometimes truth and error sound very similar. Someone can flatly lay out the facts of a situation in such a way as to leave out the kernel of truth. “The boss fired me,” may be the facts. “I was embezzling and got caught red-handed,” might be the truth.

So, here are the disciples, having just encountered Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. He glows brilliantly white with Moses and Elijah appearing with Him. Then God voices like thunder, “This is My Well-Loved Son. Listen to Him!”

For me, that little experience would last me a lifetime. But, just like the rest of us, the disciples had to fit their experience into their preconceived notions of what is “supposed” to happen. I’ll let the cat out of the bag early in this bit of thought: we miss much from God that doesn’t conform to our presuppositions. This is exactly what Jesus is trying to tell His boys.

It was a well-understood notion among the Jews, and still is, that Elijah the prophet would come first, announcing the arrival of the Messiah. So the disciples have a mind-shattering experience on the mountain, seeing Jesus shine heavenly glory, and it makes them scratch their heads. “Ok, Jesus walks and talks like a Messiah, so He must be the Messiah. But, hey, those religion guys who know more than we do have said Elijah comes first. But wait, where is Elijah, if Jesus is the Messiah?”

Jesus pokes their doctrine like an overfilled balloon saying, “Elijah already came, and they didn’t recognize him.” Yes, that’s right, the religious experts, the ones who were supposed to be all over this Messiah business missed the one who was supposed to announce the Messiah’s arrival. They simply could not accept the fact that “Elijah” was actually John the Baptist.

The one small, misguided bit of skepticism kept those experts from hearing what “Elijah” (John the Baptist) had to say. Furthermore they discarded him, allowing him to be imprisoned by their own king, and finally put to death when John pointed out the king’s misbehavior.

I truly wonder how often we miss God’s goodness because He just doesn’t show up the way we expect. If we are Pentecostal, then it has to be with flourish and tongues. If we are Charismatic, God arrives with banners and the newest praise music. Reformed? God is a theological thought-puzzle. Liberal? God is too restrictive in limiting eternal life only to those who believe in Jesus. Conservative? Anyone who mentions evolution can’t possibly be a believer.

“Elijah came and they treated him like dirt.” The Son of Man, Jesus, came, and we crucified Him. Our track record at recognizing what God is up to is frighteningly fragile. There is a real need for making sure we stay within the boundaries of truth. But the problem is, much like the “religion scholars”, we make our “interpretation” of truth mean the same thing as “truth”.

The moment we stop pointing to Jesus and make people worry about keeping rules, we have missed the point. I know a leader in a local church who used to brag that he helped “kick a lesbian teacher” off the school payroll and out of town. I know another pastor who bragged about “praying away” another teacher who was a so-called witch. We set up our truth: “We are better Christians without those wicked influences.” And then act upon it: “Get rid of them, one way or another.”

I wonder, does that measure up to Jesus’ expression of the kingdom of God? Have we also missed, not only Elijah, but Jesus Himself.  We need to be diligent to walk so closely to Jesus that we hear His voice when it comes to various situations. Would Jesus truly throw someone out on their ear without a job because their sin was one that caused certain people greater discomfort?

 I think I remember Him having potlucks with the undesirables, not garnering votes at some Board to justify their removal. I think I remember Him touching the untouchables instead of praying them away so people wouldn’t have to deal with it. I think I remember Him lovingly tell a demon possessed man to go back home and show what God had done. How many miss Jesus because, well, because we miss Him as well?