Trapped in one’s own trap

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

IN the Bible, there are a number of passages that talk about how some people, usually the wicked and evil ones, fall into their own snare that were supposed to be made for the others.

For example, in the Book of Psalms, we have the following passages: “Let the wicked fall into their own nets…” (141,10) “I did nothing wrong, but they tried to trap me. For no reason at all, they dug a pit to catch me. So let them fall into their own traps. Let them stumble into their own nets.” (35,7) “They have dug a pitfall in my path. But look! They themselves have fallen into it!” (57,6)

This was also what happened when the chief priests and some elders of the people tried to trick Christ by asking him about the authority he had for doing what he was doing. (cfr. Mt 21,23-27)

As the gospel narrated, Christ, of course, outsmarted them and asked them a question that they themselves could not answer, since any answer they would give would put them on the spot.

We have to be most wary of any temptation to trick God by playing around with the truth. We just have to be very truthful even if we may have to suffer because of it, since by resorting to some trickery, we would just expose ourselves to greater shame sooner or later.

In this regard, St. Augustine once said, “They love truth when it enlightens them, but hate when it accuses them. In this attitude of reluctance to be deceived and intent to deceive others they love truth when it reveals itself but hate it when it reveals them. Truth will therefore take its revenge: when people refuse to be shown up by it, truth will show them up willy-nilly and yet elude them.”

We should therefore be most truthful, knowing how to grow in that virtue of truthfulness especially these days when things can get very complicated. In this we need to understand that truthfulness can only start with our proper relationship with God. Other than that, our truthfulness, even in what we may consider as its best form, would always be suspect and vulnerable to elements that undermine the truth.

In short, we can only be truthful and sincere when we are with God who revealed himself in fullness insofar as we are concerned in his Son who became man, Jesus Christ.

Thus, Christ clearly said that he is “the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through him.” In other words, we can only be truthful through him. We can only find the proper way for whatever is good for us through him. We can only have the real life, proper to us, in him.

Christ said it very clearly. “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.” (Mt 5,37)

Truthfulness therefore starts with our relationship with God, and with how well we maintain that relationship. This is something we have to realize more deeply, since very often we get contented with mere human criteria for truthfulness, that are often subjective, incomplete, imperfect, and vulnerable to be maneuvered and manipulated.

When we are not with God, then we can very easily play around with the facts and data, and pass them around as truth, but serving some self-interest instead of the common good, for example.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com