Find out the truth

You believe that, don't you? If everybody at school says your friend Kelsey smells, it must be true -- so you'd better not hang around with her.

If everybody says you're stupid, you must be -- so you feel bad about yourself.

Jesus would get really angry about that! In this week's Gospel (John 18:33-37), He gives us a different message: "Don't believe everything you hear."

"Are you the king of the Jews?" Governor Pontius Pilate asked Jesus. "You're the one who says I'm a king," Jesus told him, "but I'm not a king of this world. I've come to tell the truth, and anyone who wants to hear the truth will listen to me."

In the Gospel story, Jesus had the same problem. He was on trial, and Pontius Pilate was the judge. Pilate was going to decide if Jesus lived or died -- and the reason Jesus was on trial in the first place was that other people said Jesus was going around telling everyone He was their king.

If kids tell you someone smells or they're stupid, the best thing to do isn't to just believe it. It's better to go to the person and talk to them about it. If Kelsey's your friend and you know she doesn't smell, don't believe the kids who say she does!

That's what Jesus told Pilate: "Don't believe everything you hear." People heard Jesus say He was a king, and they thought He was trying to take over their country. Jesus told Pilate He was a king of heaven, not earth.

People who want to hurt someone will say anything. Jesus taught us to only listen to one thing: the truth!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me just listen to the truth, not lies! Amen.