When You’ve Said Too Much But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer (Matt. 27:12) Whether from something we said, or something we should have said but didn’t, our deepest regrets are often connected to our words. Sometimes the regret is rooted in the silence we kept when we should have spoken. We look back on a moment when a question should have been asked, an objection should have been made, an encouragement should have been offered, our affection should have been expressed. For reasons that escape us now we remained mute in the moment and that moment can’t be retrieved. Just as often the pain of regret can be traced to something we said when we should have kept our mouth shut. Maybe we spoke without thinking or in anger or out of ignorance. What we said we didn’t mean, and we knew we didn’t mean it the moment we said it. The careless gossip shared with a colleague, a calloused response made to a child, a cutting remark aimed at a spouse – those too are hard to retrieve. One of the most striking features of Jesus’s encounter with Pilate is how little Jesus said. The most extensive dialogue comes to us through John’s gospel. However, John still manages to show us Jesus speaking only when he has something to say. Jesus is not prodded or pushed by Pilate’s interrogation. The common thread that runs through all the gospel accounts is the silence of Jesus in the presence of his accusers. What are we to learn from the quiet presence of Jesus? Why won’t he say something? The silence of Jesus before Pilate is hardly passive resignation. Far from being passive, his silence displays his power. Pilate feels the need to make an announcement about his authority. Jesus, saying nothing, is the one who clearly possesses authority. He has the kind of power that comes from knowing that a good and sovereign God is fully in control of the moment. Our damaging words and silences are usually born of fear. We stay silent because we are afraid of what might happen is we speak up, say the hard thing, share our thoughts, confront an injustice. And in the same way we often talk too much because we’re anxious. We can use words to control or manipulate or present ourselves a certain way. When we’ve said too much it just might be that we’ve tried to use our words to manage our own life. To entrust life to God, knowing that he is able and good in all things, means you can be quiet. Quiet with your mouth and within your soul. Perhaps there’s a situation in which you’ve said all you can say. Maybe you’ve said too much. Give that to God today and be quiet in his presence. Be quiet with the person you’ve tried to cajole or convince. Place the matter in God’s hands. And if you need to speak, then speak. What you feel compelled to say may seem risky, whether a word of rebuke or an expression of love. Ask for wisdom. Trust God to guide you, and speak. In your silence and in your speaking, trust. Prayer: Grant us grace, O God, to trust you enough to remain silent. And make us bold in you when we need to speak. Use our words to bless others, not to control them. Help us to live in the power of your Spirit this day, we ask in Jesus’s name. Amen. Mark H. Crumpler Pastor for Teaching and Spiritual Formation markthis.blogspot
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:03:12 +0000