Telling the whole story

Telling the whole story

"And they lived happily ever after."

If you're reading a fairy tale, you can guess that it will end that way. But sometimes, stories surprise you: You think that the boy who hates playing the drums will learn to like them, but he decides to play the trumpet instead!

If you like surprises in stories, Jesus' story is a good one to read. In this week's Gospel (John 18:33-37), Jesus tells someone that the ending will be different than he thinks!

"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."

Sometimes, you're not even done with a story before you decide how it's going to end. Then you feel bored and don't want to read the rest.

Just like you, the governor in the Gospel thought he knew Jesus' story. He thought Jesus was another crazy guy who was telling everyone, "I'm a king." The country already had a king, so they arrested Jesus for lying. Pontius Pilate wasn't even going to listen to the rest of Jesus' story before putting Him in jail!

Stories can surprise you. Even if you know the ending will be happy, it could be better than you thought: The hero doesn't just save the world; she gets an award from the president and a million dollars for doing it. You were bored at first, but now you're cheering!

Jesus' story surprised Pilate, too. "I'm not a king like you," Jesus said to him. "I'm the king of heaven, the king of everything! I am the Son of God! And if you want to hear more, follow me!"

The governor found out the same thing you do after a good story: The best part is the surprise ending. Jesus' story is never boring, because He's full of surprises!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, teach me to wait 'til the end to find out how a story turns out! Amen.