When Silence is Not Golden

"Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: 'Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth, Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'

He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 'Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?'

'Caesar's,' they replied.

He said to them, 'Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.'

They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent." (Luke 20:20-26 NIV)

and

"One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?' But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.

Then he asked them, 'If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?' And they had nothing to say." (Luke 14:1-6 NIV)

The aforesaid incidents involving our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrate clearly what to look for when people are firmly entrenched in an erroneous belief and how they will often respond when confronted by the sharp edge of truth.

The teachers (experts) of the law and Pharisees had studied the Scriptures extensively. In their learning years they were under the teaching of those esteemed most learned - who were said to know the mind of God. Surely such schooling would provide capable guides for Israel to know how to live pleasing God and provide guides to identify the long awaited Messiah?

Sadly, they were poor guides. They knew not the mind of God in all things and they knew not all Scripture. They misapplied the law and had an expectation of the Messiah which was not fully in accord with Scripture. When confronted by the Messiah they saw him as an impostor because he had a more humble background than anticipated. Further, he said and did things contrary to their interpretation of the law.

They would have nothing of a Messiah of this nature. They resolved in their mind to put him away but, until that could be accomplished, they had to deal with his presence and influence on the people of Israel. Their knowledge of Scripture and its application in the life of Israel was set against the Messiah but they were left wanting. Confronted by truth "they became silent."

Biblical Creationists concerned that the Church avoid departure from Scripture will have had situations where they have pointed out to the eldership or Pastor of their church where error has infiltrated the theology of the church. Like myself, they will often find their points, derived from Scripture, produce a response from the church eldership or Pastor where "they became silent." This is hurtful. It is unloving. It says that what is important to you is not worthy of interaction. Relational responsibility is negated. The Spirit of God is quenched.

This silence has elements of the contempt the teachers of the law and Pharisees' had for Jesus of Nazareth. It has elements of the vanity of derived knowledge superseding Scripture. It has elements of a determination to put away truth which brings discomfort to an entrenched belief.

When "they became silent" they were serving Satan more than Messiah Jesus.

Sam Drucker