Day 321, Year 1

Practice Honesty Makes People Honest 

“Birds roost with their own kind, so honesty comes home to those who practice it.” (Sirach 27:9, NRSVCE)

Today’s verse is regarded as belonging to one of the books of the Second Canon by many Old Testament scholars. In fact, there are several of those books that the Apostle Paul and other believers read, studied, and used in the New Testament times. However, nowadays Protestants mostly follow the decision of the sixteenth-century Reformation leader Martin Luther, who chose to exclude these from the Old Testament. This Canon roughly covers the period from Malachi to before the time of the New Testament, and is worth reading. Today’s verse clearly points out how to actualize honesty in believers’ lives.

The word “honesty” in the text, from the Greek word aletheia, has at least two meanings: “objective truth” and “subjective honesty but no falsehood.” The word is often used to translate the Old Testament Hebrew word ’emeth for “truth, or sincerity,” etc. One translation of the Chinese Scripture translates “honesty” to “truth,” meaning that “the truth will also belong to those who practice the truth,” which is an interpretation rooted in the aspect of “objective truth” of this word. The result of this translation is that those who do the truth become the possessors of the truth. However, this translation might lead to a misunderstanding of what some people think themselves to be the embodiment, or even incarnation, of the truth. But in fact, only Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). Anyone who thinks of himself or herself as the truth, or the embodiment of the truth, is likely to stray from Jesus. There are many religious apostasies, heresies, and even homicides that could stem from this mentality.

I think that this word is preferable to be interpreted as “subjective honesty,” as stated in the above verse. Those who walk in honesty become honest people. This is in response to what previous devotionals mention. This verse points out that practicing honesty is a way to become an honest person. So, if some have been living in a dishonest culture or growing up in a very dishonest family, the scripture tells us to practice honesty and then become honest believers. Meanwhile, we must reject dishonesty and falsehood to be honest. Contrarily, those who seek falsehood are easily taken advantage of by the devil and become destroyers in the church. In the first half of the verse, the principle of gathering of the same kind is pointed out. In other words, honest people love honest people, and it makes sense for one to be honest to truly believe in Jesus.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think there is a problem with anyone other than Jesus who believes he or she is the incarnation of the truth? Why?

2) In the future, are you willing to reject dishonesty and falsehood but practice only honesty? If so, is there anything you have that you should dispose of? Is there also anything you need to change in your manner of speaking?