Honesty

      In honesty Jesus spoke and the music of His words never skipped a note. He brought His song into the streets; He sang it in the temple, the synagogues - the churches. He flowed into our midst, loving too much to leave us where we wanted to be. He spoke and the music of His words broke through our religious lies. He wouldn't stop, even though He knew His honesty would cost Him his own life.
      He sat in the congregation, and at first they all assumed that He was just like them. And He said, "The kingdom of God has come upon you." Miracles danced from His being and the people still refused to believe Him. He saw through their complacency, and all their pompous piety. Then He pulled out His whip and overturned the tables of their business of religion.
      His tongue was as powerful as a two-edged sword, tightly controlled by the love in His heart. He deftly wielded His weaponry, aimed to carve away our treasured carnality. He cast our swine herds into the sea - those things we sacrificed to the pagan idols of lust, indulgence and greed. Then in response to His kindness we politely asked Him to leave.
      Some of us followed Him professing our undying devotion and He turned to us and exposed our motives; "You seek Me not because you saw the miracles and desire the things of God, but you prefer the earthly bread." And He spoke of the reality of only needing Him. "Eat My flesh and drink My blood, I am all you need." Then as most began to leave, He let them go, for He never would compromise His words to get them to stay - instead He chose to feed His sheep.
      He became a mirror reflecting an image of who we really are in the light of His perfection. Withering there before Him, no longer able to hide behind our religious pretensions, we lower our eyes and begin to cry, "Forgive us. We have sinned." Then we feel the warmth of His smile. We feel His comforting touch as He gently wipes our tears away. We can look up into His mirror again, but this time we do not cower, for we have been cleansed by the repentance of tears shed in honesty.

copyright by Hannah Shively 1999