daily java

Daily Java:

Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise. (Mark 15:3-5)

I read  this today and it has resonated ever since. I put it on my Facebook page and so far have eight people “like” it.

It says: “Don’t ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance, or my kindness for weakness.”

I remember the movie First Blood, the first Rambo movie. The main character was arrested by a bully policeman and all the rest of his deputies beat on him until he snapped. The problem was that he said little or nothing and they thought he was weak. I remember telling my son when we watched it that their problem was they mistook silence for weakness. When the strength finally came, it was deadly.

He was quiet but he was not weak. He endured but he was not weak.

When Jesus was before Pilate, he felt no real need to defend himself. He was not guilty, he knew it and those around him knew it too. it was just that they wanted a scapegoat for what they wanted to do and he was handy. They also mistook his quietness in life, his calmness in the midst of trouble and his kindness for ignorance, acceptance and weakness.

They were none of these. Here was a man with the power of God behind him but he felt no need to use it.

I have noticed that real warriors never speak of the wars they have fought. Those who have the real backgrounds are silent. They do their jobs and live their lives with no braggadocio, no noise, no self-adulation. Those who talk the loudest I have found are those who have done the least.

Jesus was silent at his trial, but he knew what was happening and let it do so. He was calm in the face of danger and death, yet he knew that it was because he allowed it to happen that it did. He was kind, even to the point of forgiving those who killed him, but the one thing he was not was weak.

I learned a while back to sit and listen, even when people are railing at me for whatever reason. I no longer get angry or take offense. It is not that I am weak. I don’t think I am. I am a strong man and have no issues there.

But I find I feel no need to answer back, even in the face of recriminations. Answering back does nothing, and quite frankly, I have found, as it was in the case of Jesus, that silence can be as frightening to people as threats. More so really, as you are unspoken. He almost drove Herod mad when he refused to speak. Yes, he died anyway, but it was what he came to do.

I want to say what I have to say and let it be. I came to serve and not to defend. And I suppose that some have mistaken that for weakness. But that is their problem. I stand assured in the power of God and will not fail. He is my strength as he was my Savior’s.