HOLDING YOUR PEACE
Mark 14:60-62 NKJV
60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.
Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
62 Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
This is Mark's account of the trial of Jesus when He was arrested and brought before the chief priests. Jesus was accused of many things, but they could not find witnesses who agreed as to exactly what He had done. So, the high priest went to Jesus directly, and how and when Jesus answered is worth noting.
Jesus did not answer the people who accused Him. People were saying all kinds of things about Him. Their accusations were at the root anger and jealousy. So, the words against Jesus were false. But Jesus did not say a word. When the high priest pressed Him as to why He was not responding, Jesus held His peace. I like that phrase from the King James Bible: He held His peace.
Holding His peace meant that Jesus did not answer back to the lies and accusations. Nothing. Silence. This phrase makes me think that if He had attempted to answer the critics and liars, He could have lost His peace. And Jesus never misstepped. He never "lost it." He actually held it.
But He did answer the high priest concerning one area. When the high priest asked Jesus if He was the Christ the Son of the Blessed, Jesus answered. That was not a lie or an accusation. That was a direct question as to who Jesus actually was. So Jesus answered in the affirmative. And He added a bit of prophecy as to where He was going from earth and what He would be doing in the future.
Jesus did not answer the lies and accusations. He held His peace. He did answer a question pertaining to who He was.
APPLICATION
Jesus is not just our Lord and Savior; He is our example. And in a day when so many dark forces are at work, our peace is more precious than ever before. So, we hold onto our peace by not having to answer the lies and accusations that come our way. People think that they are standing up for what is right, but I notice these folks have usually lost all sense of peace. Trying to answer lies and accusations is spiritually and emotionally draining. Hold your peace. Don't think everyone and everything needs an answer or rebuttal.
The Scriptures instruct us to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). People need to hear hope, not rebuttals. And when they question us as to who we think we are, we have answers. A child of the living God is an answer. Blessed and not cursed is an answer. A light in a dark world is an answer.
But just a warning. The high priest did not like Jesus' answer, and there is a good chance that people in darkness may not like yours. But that's okay. We are not living to please them anyway.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me to be like You and hold my peace on the things that don't require an answer. And give me boldness to speak truth when an answer is required.