December 25, 2015 @ 6:30 AM
The other night my wife and I watched the modern remake of the old classic Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street. Although I don’t remember this quote from the old classic movie, in the remake, the lawyer defending Santa Claus poses this question to the court: “What is better, a lie that draws a smile or a truth that draws a tear?” Of course, his contention is that a lie is better than the truth if it makes people happy. At Time For Truth Ministries, we wholeheartedly disagree with this erroneous contention. It is always better to know the truth, no matter how disturbing or disheartening the truth may be! Ours may be a minority opinion, as well as a most unpopular one, but we are absolutely convinced it is right.
Contrary to popular opinion, happiness is overrated. According to the Bible, Jesus was “a man of sorrows” who was well “acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). The wise King Solomon taught us that “in much wisdom is much grief” and to “increase [our] knowledge” is to “increase [our] sorrow” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). While it is true that ignorance is bliss, it is not true that the bliss of ignorance is better than the bothersome burden of truth. If the light at the end of the tunnel is a train, it’s better to know it and run from it with a grimace than to be ignorant about it and run toward it with a grin.
There is no doubt that the modern-day masses prefer the dark tunnel of ignorance to the bright light of truth. As long as they can believe a lie they can laugh their way to destruction. However, if they ever faced the truth, it would wipe the smile off their faces. Yet, it is only the truth that can lead to eternal bliss, a possession contingent upon your willingness to sacrifice the temporal bliss of ignorance.
C. S. Lewis once said: "I didn't go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity." Lewis understood, unlike most professed Christians today, that Christianity is not about happiness, it's about Christ. It is not about Christ making you happy, but about you making Christ known, which sometimes requires the sacrificing of your happiness in the heralding of Christ in this unhappy world.
Our Lord, who "bore our griefs and carried our sorrows" on the cruel cross of Calvary (Isaiah 53:4), clearly taught that "taking up [our] cross" was a prerequisite to us becoming His disciples (Matthew 10:38). There is no such thing as a crossless Christian; that is, a disciple of Christ who is unwilling to bear the burdens and suffer the sorrows of faithfully following Christ in this fallen world. Make no mistake about it; Christianity is all about taking up crosses, not turning cartwheels.