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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Fear of freedom
If “the truth will make you free,” why does it scare us so much?
Context
Pontius Pilate’s dismissive question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), is one of the most insidious political utterances ever made, but the underlying notion that there can be different – and conflicting truths – has been utilised throughout history, from Machiavelli’s concept of Verità Effettuale (“effectual truth”) to Kellyanne Conway’s infamous defence of Sean Spicer’s statements about Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, that he gave “alternative facts”. Public distrust of UK politicians led to the launch of two petitions seeking to make it a criminal offence for MPs to mislead the public or lie in parliament, which were debated and rejected by the government in October 2023. MP Luke Myer has recently put forward a similar idea as part of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill - also known as the Hillsborough Law - which is designed to stop cover-ups.
Deception is practised in everyday life, too. At one end of the scale is the infant who lies about some trivial misdemeanour for fear of punishment, while at the other end is the 2015 survey in which 20% of men and 19% of women admitted (N.B.) to having had an affair, and the 2022 Social Attitudes Survey conducted by the National Centre for Social Research which observed there had been a noticeable fall in the number of people who said particular acts were never acceptable. These included buying stolen goods, accepting a bribe and falsifying a benefits claim.
Research consistently links these changing public attitudes towards dishonesty with the UK’s rising socioeconomic inequality. The Equality Trust draws on research showing that by 2022 the UK “had the 9th most unequal incomes of 38 OECD countries”, while a 2024 Health Foundation report identified a clear connection between inequality and higher crime rates.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
Today’s reading from Isaiah – or Second Isaiah – describes God’s Servant as “one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers” (v7). Why? Because the Servant speaks the truth as revealed by God; and the truth is not always welcomed by those who hold power. Since 1942, when Black American Quaker activist and civil rights leader Bayard Ruskin first described his purpose as “speaking truth to power”, the phrase has been adopted up by prophetic figures as diverse as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Vaclav Havel, as well as by countless ordinary activists determined to raise their voices against abuse, exploitation and oppression of many kinds.
Speaking truth to power is fundamental to the prophetic tradition, and the reason why so many prophets were persecuted long before Jesus was confronted by Pilate with that insidious question, “What is truth?”, and the number of prophetic figures who have suffered for the same action is growing to this day.
The fear of suffering, whether incurring someone’s displeasure, or the break-up of a relationship, or personal violence, or punishment under the law, or even martyrdom, is often what inhibits us from deceiving others, but equally it often holds us back from telling the truth – and this is as true in our private lives as it is in the public sphere. “I made a mistake, and I’m sorry,” can be as difficult for us to say to a friend or relative as it is for a politician to say to the public because we fear the consequences in a culture all too ready to condemn those who confess to wrongdoing.
Suppose, however, that across the world there were local communities in in which penitent sinners could hope for forgiveness rather than condemnation. Suppose that, while rightly requiring a realistic measure of restoration for an offence committed, those communities then offered reconciliation rather than endless recrimination. Might we not then celebrate honesty instead of punishing it? Might this not catch on and spread? Might the truth actually set us free?
Questions for discussion
- What truths should the Church be speaking to power?
- What truths are most unpopular with the public?
- What truths do we find it hard to speak among our families and friends?
- What can we do, individually and as the Church, about the above?
Robert Beard is an NHS worker and Church of England priest.
Check-in
Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
What do you need to do to achieve your goals?
This can be a question we ask ourselves a lot at the beginning of the year. Often we keep these goals hidden, mainly because on 31st December we may have a long list of goals which would result in us taking up a bunch of healthy habits which make us the best version of ourselves that we could possibly be and now, just over halfway through January, our best laid plans may be quickly unravelling as our ambitions make contact with reality.
In the news recently there has been lots of talk about what countries need to do to achieve goals on matters like security. There are some countries which are definitely not hiding their agenda. Never in history (probably) has Greenland and who it currently belongs to and who it should belong to been discussed in such detail. When we hear the president of the United States talking about his country will do whatever it takes to make Greenland part of their country, it is a reminder of the extent to which people will go to achieve their goals.
Today’s passage in Isaiah contains a goal that seems nearly impossible. Isaiah is writing at a time when the people of God have been exiled and their temple destroyed. The words in verse 4, “I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all,” would have resonated with their situation.
And yet, in the second half of the passage we are told that the first goal of restoring Israel is too small a goal. Instead the servant spoken about in this passage will be a light that restores the entire world. This passage points to the arrival of Jesus and how his approach to achieving his goal is a stark contrast to the approach of many of our world leaders. There will be no boasting, no feats of strength or bravado. Instead, he will choose to rest in God’s power and lay down his life to bring restoration to all of us - a hidden saviour.
If you are feeling a bit lost already in 2026, remember that God’s hopes and plans are greater than any hopes and plans we have for ourselves and the best versions of us are not revealed through our own strivings and achievements, but by simply resting in God and his love for us.
Chris Neilands is the co-founder of Play it by Ear drama company, based in Belfast.
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