There is a maxim in journalism that says facts are sacred. In reality, not all facts are sacred as we can see in the game played by Jacob’s sons. Having sold Joseph into slavery, they devised an ingenious means to cover their track. They killed an animal and soaked Joseph’s coat in its blood. That was the cloth they presented to Jacob, which he took as an irrevocable truth regarding Joseph. “Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces”, he said. He drew his conclusion from facts; unfortunately they were not based on truth. The toll on Jacob lasted for many years; he lived in sorrow and emptiness. Several years later, he heard the good news that Joseph was alive. He must have wondered what happened to the coat drenched in blood. Here we notice that a set of facts based on falsehood cannot become truth over time, and that only truths are sacred, not just facts.

What we believe takes a toll on us, even if it is a grand deception.

What we believe takes a toll on us, even if it is a grand deception. It is even more consequential when we bring in the eternal dimension. Imagine how many people are holding to the tenets of different religions, conducting their lives based on the dictates of their professed faiths. They live by the interpretations of the beliefs as supplied by their leaders and guides. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life. Unless these interpretations declare the lordship of Jesus, they are a mere snare to those who follow them. Jesus is the truth that sets free both in time and eternity.