“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Until now, I’ve always read John 1:14 as an argument that Jesus perfectly combined the ability to tell people the truth with grace. The truth that I thought he was telling was essentially the Law. It was used as an example for when you need to tell your friend that they’re sinning, but in such a graceful way that it isn’t self-righteous or antagonistic.
I heard John 1:14 read recently, and it struck me that “truth” might be referring to something else entirely. Maybe Jesus’s truth was the good news. And I mean the actual good news, the stuff that cuts through the lies of the world. The kind of truth that IS grace.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
LIE: I have to work for God’s love.
TRUTH: God’s love is mine, unconditionally and forever, just as I am.
LIE: This life, with all its suffering and pain, is as good as it gets.
TRUTH: God’s kingdom of peace and righteousness IS coming, in small ways now and fully in the next life.
LIE: God may “love” me, but he doesn’t like me.
TRUTH: God is DELIGHTED by me, and he is glad that I exist.
LIE: God wants me to work for him to prove that I am his.
TRUTH: God wants to show me his vision of the world and of every person so that I will be so captivated by hope that I will use the talents he’s given me to act with his love.
LIE: When I mess up, God is disappointed in me.
TRUTH: God is far more patient with me than I am with myself.
LIE: The thing that matters is being right with God.
TRUTH: The thing that matters is knowing God.
It Is Trish 