Easter Meditations: When Jesus Went Silent

Jesus Condemned by Michael D. O'Brian

Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent.                       Matthew 26:60-63

Why did Jesus go silent at this point of His story? Earlier in the evening He was willing to speak as He pointed out thuggish behavior, but now in face of accusations He remained silent. Why?

Perhaps it was because the accusations, as we see them recorded here, were ludicrous and beside the point. If they thought He was simply human flesh and blood, they had no need to fear when they heard him say that he could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Who cares? No one could do that. These would be the words of a crazy man.

The accusers of Jesus were off base, asking the wrong questions, paying attention to the wrong issues.  Why should He answer?

How can we know the mind of the Divine? A lot of us throw accusations and questions at God, demands that make sense to us: How can You allow evil? How do I know that You exist? Prove it! Why should I believe claims about God made by churches with all their rules and differences from each other, their man-made traditions and their power grabs? You come across as coercive and ugly; what do you have to say about that? Why did you allow such-and-such to happen to me or my family? Why would I want anything to do with You?

Could it be that God remains silent in face of our questions and thinly-veiled accusations because somewhere we've missed the real issues? Could it be that our important, heart-wrenching questions are beside the point? How can we know the mind of the Divine?

I suspect that God remains silent until we ask the questions that really matter. I suspect that even then, the answers, in both their timing and content, will be a surprise. I'm willing to stick around and wait for the answers not yet heard. Hopefully I'll notice them when they come. Sometimes He whispers.