Sharing the Truth Well

“As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.”

Luke 24: 28&29, NIV

How would you react if someone told you that you were foolish or unwise? I think that if it were me, I would feel rejected by that person and walk away. Maybe I would be defensive and rebuke the person, showing why I wasn’t foolish or unwise. Jesus said that Cleopas and his colleague were foolish, so I could see them stepping back from chatting to Jesus.

But the very opposite happened; they said to Jesus, “Stay with us.” They gave him a reasonable reason: “It’s nearly dark.” So Jesus stayed with them. But how did Jesus get them to overcome their natural defensiveness and want him to stay? How did Jesus share the truth well and still be invited to stay?

The first thing was that Jesus shared the truth and wasn’t trying to get one up on the two disciples. They saw that Jesus was trying to show them the reality of who He was. They saw that God was so loving that He was prepared to sacrifice His own son for the sake of humanity, for their sake.

But how did Jesus do it? I believe there were four attributes to Jesus. These are:

Speak Truth in Love: Truth and love are inseparable. Paul commands believers to “speak the truth in love” so that the message builds up the body of Christ rather than tearing it down. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Eph 4:15, NIV) Speaking the truth in love is not shying away from the truth, but saying it in such a way that others realise it was said for their own benefit.

Hard on the heels of Speaking the Truth in Love comes Showing Gentleness and Respect: No matter how loving you are, speaking the truth can be hard to hear. So, when speaking the truth, show gentleness and respect for the person receiving it. 1 Peter 3:15 advises Christians to always be prepared to explain their faith, but to do so with “gentleness and respect”. The truth may hurt, but the blow is often softened by gentleness and respect. The goal is to persuade and win others with humility, avoiding arrogance or argumentativeness.

We are not here to win an argument; we are here to declare the Word of God and to plant a seed. It is God who will convict and God who can soften the heart. As such, we must try to avoid getting into an argument, as we often use words that we will quickly regret. No, we are to use gracious speech: Colossians 4:6 states, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” This ensures that our words are fitting and winsome.

Live Authentically: 1 John 3:18 encourages believers not to “love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” Your lifestyle should reflect the message you share. For me, the worst phrase used by a pastor or leader is, “do what I say, don’t do what I do.” I understand that we are flawed beings who constantly fail, but we are all called to change and become more like Christ. So living like Christ is fundamental to sharing the truth well.

Finally, relying on the Holy Spirit: Ultimately, we cannot force anyone to believe; as I have just said, opening hearts is the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, our task is to pray for the right opportunities and for God to guide our words.