Thursday, May 14, 2009
Handle the Truth?
One of my favorite movie scenes involves Tom Cruise (Lt. Daniel Kaffee) and Jack Nicholson (Col. Nathan Jessep) in the movie, "A Few Good Men." The scene in the military courtroom pits Kaffee, a Navy Lawyer trying to get this tough Marine Colonel to admit that he ordered a "code red" as part of a barbaric form of discipline that led to a Private's death.
Col. Nathan R. Jessep: You want answers?
Lt. Daniel Kaffee: I think I'm entitled.
Col. Nathan R. Jessep: You want answers?!
Lt. Daniel Kaffee: I want the truth!
Col. Nathan R. Jessep: You can't handle the truth!
A few years ago, a colleague had sent me an email during class asking for my opinion on a matter. When the bell rang signalling class change, this fellow teacher and I walked out of our rooms at the same time, made eye contact, and reenacted that scene in front of unsuspecting (aren't they always :) ) middle school students who thought two of their teachers had lost their minds.
Losing my mind is where I would go when I heard John 4 used to back up one's point by point doctrine or to point out that there was no allowance for deviation from that person's "sound" doctrine. Doctrine is the farthest thing from Jesus mind when he tells the Samaritan woman the following:
21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will (emphasis mine) worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
The Hebrew concept of "truth" in this case has nothing to do with a point by point doctrine but rather something that I and many of us have trouble handling - being truthful to each other and to God. We tend to be able to discuss, debate, and mediate over points of doctrine at times but taking my mask off before my fellow brother and sisters in Christ, and doing that with God is tough to handle.
But to quote one of the ending lines from the 1970's version of the movie, "Brian's Song," where the narrator reminds us about Brian Piccolo's life, when we worship the Father in spirit and truth - oh how we'll start to live!
I'm so proud of a group of guys who have made it their passion to worship in spirit and truth. they meet every Tuesday night and as my good friend Pat Pugh would say - they "keep it real." It's not an "in your face" "real" but rather a come and join us for we're all "messed" up without the Messiah "real" and we want to start being truthful with Him and each other.
May God bless you with opportunities to "handle the truth."
Comments:
<< Home
Great thoughts, Cecil. Prompted me to do some checking on alternate translations.
Phillips says, "God is spirit, and those who worship him can only worship in spirit and in reality."
Peterson has, "Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."
Thanks for the prompt!
-bill
Phillips says, "God is spirit, and those who worship him can only worship in spirit and in reality."
Peterson has, "Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."
Thanks for the prompt!
-bill
Bill - Thanks. I like Phillips "reality" translation. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Greg - I'm sure we are ( :) ) but we're both in Jesus and that's the main thing.
Greg - I'm sure we are ( :) ) but we're both in Jesus and that's the main thing.
I do believe you have seen as many movies as me....I like that about you.
I have worshipped with some who wouldn't know the Spirit if it came in as a dove and sat on their heads....
But it is about me....and my Spirit connecting with the truth that God loves me and sent his son for ME...YES!!
I have worshipped with some who wouldn't know the Spirit if it came in as a dove and sat on their heads....
But it is about me....and my Spirit connecting with the truth that God loves me and sent his son for ME...YES!!
Donna - Around our church I'm known as the "Movie Elder."
Judy - Thanks for stopping by and thinking is always a good thing.
BTW - Think about verses 15 and 16 which give you the context (I think) of Chapter 4 - being truthful or in the woman's case with Jesus, not being truthful and even trying to change the subject.
Judy - Thanks for stopping by and thinking is always a good thing.
BTW - Think about verses 15 and 16 which give you the context (I think) of Chapter 4 - being truthful or in the woman's case with Jesus, not being truthful and even trying to change the subject.
I came back to re-read this and your error was SO obvious. I'm amazed I didn't catch it the first time. The text you cited is in blue with green emphasis. I know for a fact the original manuscript was NOT in blue with green emphasis. How can I ever trust you with truth after you try to pull such a fast one on us by toying with the text?
Post a Comment
<< Home
