It’s Tuesday, November 28, 2023. They were stuck. Roman soldiers were assigned the task of ensuring that the tomb where Jesus was laid after the crucifixion remained sealed. Yet they witnessed an angel move the stone as Jesus was resurrected by the power of God. And although the Roman soldiers experienced this miracle, they were paid to stay silent. They agreed to censor the truth and live a lie. I wonder how the rest of their lives fared, as each day they had to live a life that had silenced the truth in exchange for money? Read on…
Today's Reading:
Matthew 28; 1 Thessalonians 1,2,3
Scripture
"… the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’” … So, the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day” (Matthew 28:12-15)
Observation
A case of fraud at its worst! The elders in the religious movement intentionally skewed the truth. Leaders had lost all virtue and conscience, turning religion into a 'union,' a political action group that used religion as a front for their personal agendas. Even if they didn’t believe that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, why deny a miracle and conjure up a counterfeit story? I’m sure it was because they were so invested in the lie that the truth would uncover their evil intentions. Instead of being an ally, 'truth' became their adversary. But what’s even worse is that they paid others to deny the truth and live the rest of their lives with a lie! I wonder what that did to their souls, their families, their eternities?
Application
Many are “bought” by the enemy to stay silent … whether they make the exchange due to pride, peer pressure, money, or emotional desperation. Many would rather tolerate the inner discomfort of compromise than be set free by the truth; however, when no one’s around, they are hounded by the loneliness and regret of playing charades. In 2020 and 2021, 90,000 in the USA alone committed suicide. We can see the dangerous consequences of being held hostage to satan, the “father of lies” (Jn. 8:44).
Prayer
Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit that guides us into all truth, and it is the truth that will set us free! Please help us to live honestly and be 'free indeed!' There are still many areas I need to address, but like David, my prayer is the same: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in Your everlasting way"(Psalm 139:23-24).
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