Matthew 26:54-75

26:63a "But Jesus kept silent."

In the face of a mock trial intent on finding the slightest reason to kill Him, Jesus offered no defense.

There is a time for all things. Jesus certainly knew how to raise His voice. When He cleared the temple, you can bet people heard Him. And yet here, He remains silent. What is the difference? In the temple, Jesus was filled with zeal for the honor of His Father. He was clearing the rubbish from God's house. In His trial, however, He Himself was under attack. That is where we draw the line.

So much of the time, we get it backwards. We scream and shout when we feel we are threatened, but when we hear the Lord's name taken in vain, we pretend we didn't hear it. I won't shy away from a discussion about God and what His standards are, but I know I could use more work on shying away from defending my own rights. It's interesting to note, that when pressed, the only Christ did utter was scripture. There's a lesson for us.

Lord, help me to be zealous for Your name and meek for my own. Help me to be so absorbed in You that I won't be bothered when people attack Dave Allen.