MATTHEW 27:11-14 – Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
THEME OF THE DAY. SILENCE IS GOLDEN. This dialogue between Pontius Pilate and our Lord Jesus is riveting. It is also full of instruction. And one area of instruction is something every one of us needs to heed. All of us may learn from Jesus’ example on how to verbally respond when faced with false accusations, hurtful speech and verbal abuse.
In our relationships with other people, and especially those closest to us, there are inevitable times of conflict. These times, no matter the level of conflict, produce great opportunities for our tongue to go to work. And often, it is to do the work of speaking words of self-defense and self-justification when confronted or accused. Take a few moments and think on an occasion when a “heated conversation” occurred. It may not have started that way, but it got there fast. Why? What causes speech that easily falls out of the edifying category? Allow the Apostle James to tell us . . . “The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water” (James 3:5-12). We have a little membrane between our cheeks and in our mouth that is ready to defend oneself with self-centered words and rain down a verbal barrage of pain on those who have wronged us.
When it comes to our tongues, they may be a source of much damage to people or of much blessing. King Solomon paints those pictures with these words, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). And that draws us back to the lesson from Jesus in His dialogue with Pontius Pilate. Notice the repeated words Matthew records of Jesus’ response to the false accusations, slander, and questions from Pilate – “He gave no answer.” Jesus would not respond. Divine wisdom knew, in this occasion, silence was indeed golden.
Friends, there are many times we should put a muzzle on our mouth. There are many times when wrongly accused, it is more God-honoring to absorb the “word blows” than to lash out in self-defense. Remember these words of King Solomon, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Proverbs 10:19). Yes, silence is golden and should we exercise restraint like Jesus, people will marvel as did Pilate – “So that the governor was greatly amazed.”
PRAYER: “Father, help me to guard my tongue when I want to say much when I should say little.”
QUOTE: “How we respond when treated wrongly will tell us just how much like Jesus we are becoming.”