There is often as important a lesson in what Christ did not say as there is in what He did say. When Christ was brought before the Chief Priests and the whole Sanhedrin on the night of His Passion, some men were brought in to testify against Him. Christ was forced to listen to their false accusations.
Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” (Mark 14:60)
What is important about this ‘damning testimony’ against Jesus is that it was not true.
Many testified falsely against him, their statements did not agree. (Mark 14:56)
When was the last time someone uttered a false statement about you? Or for that matter, criticized you to your face? Were you able to remain silent? One of the greatest sources of freedoms available to us comes when we stop being concerned by what other people say about us. While being offended, Jesus literally held His silence to the grave.
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Acts 8:32, quoting Isaiah 5:7)
We do not need to respond to every criticism we receive in our lives, whether the statements are true or not. Certainly, there are going to be times when it is appropriate to make a calm and well-reasoned defense of ourselves. But more often than not, people choose to react to any hint of criticism leveled against them.
Christ did not feel that way. He knew that ultimately His final arbiter was God the Father, and He was happy to let the hot air of criticism pass over Him and go the way of most hot air - nowhere.
When He was insulted, He returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, He handed himself over to the one who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23)
Jesus Christ knew that contending with falsehoods was a waste of His time. As it is ours.
Some spiritual writers have referred to this process of ignoring criticism as the Lord’s way of chiseling the soul by refining it and shaping into the image He wants it to be. It is one of the surest ways for us to practice and grow in humility.
This idea of chiseling comes directly out of the Suffering Servant scripture verses found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. They are verses which refer to the anticipated Messiah. Isaiah writes about how the Messiah, (Christ) would suffer, and how He would respond.
Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. (Isaiah 50:7)
What was it that allowed Jesus to maintain His composure in the midst of these accusations. His demeanor was the fruit of the constant communication Jesus maintained with His Father in prayer. There is no need to cite the many instances where we read Jesus went out to pray. We know Jesus prayed constantly to His Father, as should we.
Of course, there is another silence we need to consider, the silence required of us when we are inclined to criticize or offer a sarcastic remark. It is obvious that none of us would willfully utter false testimony that could hurt another person. But what about the criticisms we speak that should never have been spoken. Jesus had a simple standard for how we should speak about others.
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (Matthew 7:1)
The truth is that the silence of the tongue is one of the most difficult - and also most important - virtues we can practice. James, in his New Testament Letter, does not mince words when speaking about the strength and potential destructiveness of our gift of speech.
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:6)
It is amazing, as James suggests, how much damage we can do with our words. And most of the damage is apparently done to us.
A very dear friend once said that after beginning to deepen her prayer life, she made a commitment to never utter a criticism or sarcasm about another person. She admitted she has not always been perfect in keeping this commitment, but she stands by it as best she can. And she told me that with God’s help, she has made great progress.
Most of us can acknowledge many instances where we have uttered a criticism or a sarcastic remark towards someone, and later came to regret it terribly. Many of those instances may continue to haunt us to this day. The tongue can serve as that small spark. No criticism directed at us will ever be as destructive as the exercise of our conscience when we have misused our gift of speech.
At the same time, we can all recall instances where we may have had the opportunity to criticize but chose to hold our tongue. Have we ever regretted that silence?
We were all given a tongue to be used for one great purpose.
For it is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me;
and every tongue will acknowledge God.’” (Romans 14:11)
Let us pray that we might find the courage and the prudence to maintain silence when it is the sound the world most needs. And let us pray that we will use our tongues for the primary reason it was given to us, to acknowledge and praise God.
Copyright © 2025, Deacon Mark Danis
Image credit: “Christ before Caiaphas,” Duccio, Public domain, via WikiArt