“While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.”
Matthew 28:11-15 NIV

Stare at a white wall sometime and try to convince yourself that it is, in fact, green with pink spots. Tell other people about that. Get them to agree with you. Convince them that what they think they see isn’t really what is going on…and if you can actually do this and believe it, then you’d be in pretty much the same place as these leaders in Matthew 28.

It takes an awful lot of faith to say that a lie, and an obvious one at that, is the answer you’re going to stick with. It takes a lot of pride and a massive ego to stand opposed to the obvious answer that requires an extraordinary amount of personal delusion. This was not a small thing that the religious leaders did in trying to cover their own trail. It meant duping themselves to such a degree that it would mean rewriting history for themselves and selling themselves on this new report.

Granted, we see our media in the states doing this all the time when it comes to the founding of our nation. They do anything and everything they can to white out Christian beliefs and history, they rewrite textbooks just to take it out because it is uncomfortable to them. These Pharisees and priests weren’t doing anything different. They simply look at the truth, think, ‘I don’t like that.’ and make the changes they want to see happen.

As Christians, we aren’t surprised at this behavior. Jesus told us it would happen. Examining the tendency and patterns of human sin, we shouldn’t be surprised when these things happen. The truth is so uncomfortable, it’s like staring into a flashlight when you’ve been in the dark. It burns your eyes, you actively turn away because it’s too much to bear and process, and so you determine that finding more darkness to look at is better.

As we take the great news of Easter, of Resurrection Sunday, out with us, we must realize that we are going to meet with opposition from entrenched hearts. Changing a worldview usually doesn’t happen overnight, and we must pray for those we would love and serve for Christ.

GoLove with the joy that has been shared with you, and don’t be afraid to shed light on darkened eyes. Truth cannot be compromised, but it can be communicated in love. Serve, teach and equip in Christ’s Name and in the patience He gives and has had with you.