The truth may set you free, but at what cost?

As we were growing up, we were all taught to tell the truth. However, we soon learned that, just as there were consequences for telling a lie, telling the truth sometimes produced unpleasant results. Not only might we have been made to 'face the music' ourselves, but in being honest we might have implicated others as well, and no one likes a 'tattle-tale.' Still, no society can survive without the truth, regardless of what it might cost. We have to be able to trust each other; and we have to be strong enough to accept the truth about ourselves and our society. Otherwise, we will not be able to remedy what could prevent growth and improvement. Several weeks ago (Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time) we reflected on 'the cost of discipleship.' The readings for this Sunday invite us to look at that theme again, but this time from a slightly different perspective. In both the passage from the prophet Jeremiah and the gospel reading, we find examples of the cost of telling the truth. In both instances, this cost is quite high.

In the first reading, we find Jeremiah imprisoned. What was his crime? He was advising the soldiers, in whose custody he had been placed, that the city of Jerusalem was doomed and that any protection they might offer it would be pointless. Better to simply surrender. Besides, the defeat of the city would be God's way of punishing the people for their infidelity. The officials of the court told the king that "he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in the city." As a result, Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, an ancient form of solitary confinement. Was Jeremiah honestly announcing the truth of God's word? Or was he guilty of treason? At times of political unrest, such a question is difficult to answer. Regardless of how one interprets Jeremiah's situation, for telling the truth as he understood it, the prophet was made to pay the price exacted of an act treason.

This is a tragic picture, not only because of the consequences Jeremiah was forced to endure, but also because of the personality of the man himself. He did not consider himself a fit subject for the office of prophet. In fact, he tried to evade his call, giving excuses for why he would not be able to meet its demands (Jer 1:6). Many commentators refer to Jeremiah as 'the reluctant prophet,' the one whose disposition was too tender for the misery that he would have to face. He had to warn his own people that they were going to be defeated by their mortal enemies the Babylonians, and it fell to him to proclaim the destruction of the city that he loved and the temple that he cherished. Telling the truth must have broken his heart.

In the gospel account, Jesus describes his own role as that of "setting the earth on fire." While on one hand, this expression could suggest that Jesus is aflame with zeal for establishing the reign of God, on the other hand, the tone of the rest of the passage implies that it points to great suffering. We often think of Jesus as a man of peace, and rightly so. He did go around the countryside to the villages of the land, announcing comfort and relief to those in need. However, he realized that his message of reform and rebirth would not be accepted by all. It could mean division. Today's gospel reading tells us that such division would be felt at the very core of society, in the family unit.

In order to realize the depth and severity of such a rupture, we must remember how essential kinship loyalty was in the ancient world. In that world societies were community-oriented, unlike the individual-oriented perspective most of us cherish today. Individuals could not survive alone, and the way they were a part of the broader community was through the kinship structure. In today's reading, Jesus acknowledges that the truth of his teaching would cause some within the family to accept him, while others would not. This resulted in actual alienation of family members and the possibility of their being ostracized from their community of origin.

Standing for the truth is no easier today than it was for Jeremiah or for the early followers of Jesus. In many parts of the world, it may still place people in jeopardy for their lives. Nor is it uncommon that individuals must sometimes choose between the truth as they see it and family solidarity. However, most of us do not face such drastic circumstances. Still, we may have to pay a price for standing for the truth. We might be opposed to a political policy and, as a result, be accused of being unpatriotic. It could be that something at our workplace should be challenged, and we might have to risk being labeled uncooperative. Or, following our conscience could put us at odds with friends or family. The truth may set us free, but at what cost?