Some people may think that a white lie is ok but other lies are not ok (or some may even think that other lies are ok). However, a lie is a lie, no matter what colour it may be. When a person lies, that person is trying to protect something or someone, or perhaps to save face, or to avoid an embarrassing or incriminating situation.
The chief priests and elders in today's Gospel are caught lying to save their own skin. They were more concerned about themselves and their establishment, and were not willing to accept or admit the truth about Jesus. Even the guards who witnessed the resurrection were not willing to put their lives in jeopardy over an itinerant preacher like Jesus, since they could be executed if the truth comes out. So, to muddle up things and to protect their own interests, money is once again involved. Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, and once again He is "betrayed" with a considerable sum of money. Not only were these people guilty of bearing false witness, they were also guilty of greed.
What about us? Are we guilty of bearing false witness and greed today? Are we no different than the chief priests and elders or the soldiers in today's Gospel? Is the truth too difficult to swallow? We may try to hide or cover up the truth, but as a Malay proverb reminds us: "sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga." (loosely translated in English as: "No matter how good a squirrel is at jumping around trees, in the end it will fall to the ground."). Are we going to wait until we are finally exposed for the lies uttered? Why do some of us imprison ourselves with lies and more lies, only to bring ourselves to ruin or cause ourselves to be worse off later?
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