Saying Nothing

 When an innocent person is accused of a crime, his normal reaction would be outrage and anger. He would demand the accuser for concrete proof of his alleged crime. 

Either that or he would stay silent, thinking, If it isn’t true, why should I even bother explaining? 

In the Bible, Jesus did both. 

He spoke up: He rebuked the Pharisees, who could not believe His arguments about being the Son of God. He also challenged the unbelievers who argued with Him about who He was. His last argument was emphatic, “’I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!’ At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.”  (John 8:13-59 NLT) 

He stayed silent: The leading priests and the entire high council tried to pin Him down,  so they could put Him to death. Many false witnesses came forward to accuse Him. 

“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’” The council asked Him to answer, but He remained silent. 

A professor suddenly resigned from the university because some of his students who got failing grades spread a false rumor about him. He thought it beneath him to even defend himself. But by his leaving without any explanation, many people believed the students’ accusations.  

 

Sometimes, if we say nothing, wrongdoers go off scot-free. And yet, sometimes, too, remaining silent is the best option to quash the issue.  

When do we pipe up and when do we pipe down? 

I could almost hear my late mom repeating what she loved to say, "Always seek help from the Holy Spirit and His guiding grace to lead you in the right decision."