John 9:22
“These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.”
The story from the verse above is about a man who Jesus healed on the sabbath day. This man was born blind, and when Jesus passed his way, He told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The man obeyed Jesus and was miraculously healed.
When the Pharisees heard of this healing, they questioned this man who it was that healed him on the sabbath. When the man couldn’t tell him, they began to question whether this man was ever blind. His parents happened to be there, and the Pharisees asked them if their son was ever blind and who it was who healed him. They responded that he was blind and now could see, but they didn’t know how he received his sight. This was not true! They knew how he received his sight. Yet, because they were afraid that they would be put out of the synagogue for telling the truth they lied.
It is so easy to allow outside situations to keep us from revealing the truth. Telling the truth is not always convenient. There will be times when telling the truth will cost you the approval of the populace and longtime associations, but you must not be afraid of telling the truth. There were a few things that caused these parents to be afraid of the truth of which we must also be careful.
First, they were afraid of the truth because of the crowd they were in. There will be times when you are the only one in the crowd who knows the truth, but you must not silence truth just because you will be in the minority. Certainly, it is never comfortable to be in the minority, but you must not be afraid to tell the truth just because it is not popular. Truth must be proclaimed whether or not everyone around you wants to hear it. Truth is not always popular, and standing for it should never be based on popularity.
Second, they were afraid of the truth because they would lose the approval of an institution. These people would have been cast out of the synagogue had they told the truth, and that kept them from telling the truth. Just because the institutions you’ve belonged to may disown you, you must not allow them to influence whether you will tell the truth. If your college disowns you for telling the truth, then so be it. If a church you’ve loved casts you out for standing for truth, then that is just the way it has to be. Don’t let institutions influence your stand for truth.
Third, they were afraid of the truth because they would lose the friends of a lifetime. If they were cast out of the synagogue, their friends and neighbors, and maybe even their own family, would have disowned them. Truth will sometimes cause you to be on the opposite side of friends, but that should never influence your stance. When you stand for truth, you will find that you will lose friends. You will find there will be times when your own family will not stand with you, but you must always stand for truth.
The test of your love for truth is dependent upon what you are willing to lose to defend it. If you become a lover of truth, then you must be prepared to lose the approval of the populace, institutions, friends and family. The need for this hour is for people who are willing to lose all these for truth’s sake. If truth is not proclaimed, then the only thing left to believe are lies. Don’t let the lies of this world silence your voice for truth. Don’t be afraid of the truth because of what you will lose. If you lose all for truth, you have still gained the greatest asset; the approval of God.