John 18:23-27: a reflection

23Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?” 24Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. 25Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said therefore to him, “You aren’t also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26One of the servants of the high priest, being a relative of him whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” 27Peter therefore denied it again, and immediately the rooster crowed.

When Jesus is struck by an officer during his questioning, he does not cower or retaliate, but responds with a calm appeal to truth and justice: if I have spoken evil, show it; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me? Jesus answered, if I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me? Struck unjustly, Jesus neither cowers in fear nor lashes out in retaliation; he responds with a measured, truthful appeal, asking that his words be judged fairly, that if he had done wrong it be shown, and if not, the mistreatment be seen for what it was. It is a response of composed dignity, neither fearful nor vengeful, grounded in truth. This shows how to respond to injustice with a calm appeal to truth, neither cowering nor retaliating. Respond to injustice with calm appeal to truth, not fear or retaliation. Jesus met being struck with composed, truthful dignity. Neither cower nor lash out; appeal to what is right. A measured response grounded in truth answers injustice well.

Notice how Jesus responded to being struck unjustly. He had been questioned, and an officer struck him, a wrongful blow. Jesus could have responded in fear, cowering before the mistreatment; or in anger, lashing out or retaliating. But he did neither. He responded with composed dignity and a calm appeal to truth and justice: if I have spoken evil, then show what the evil was; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me? He asked simply that he be judged fairly, that the wrong be shown if there was wrong, and if not, that the injustice be recognized. It was a measured, truthful, dignified response, neither cowering nor vengeful. This gives us a pattern for responding to injustice and mistreatment. When we are wronged, treated unjustly, struck at unfairly, our instinct is often either to cower in fear, or to lash out in anger and retaliation. But there is a better way, the way Jesus modeled: a composed response grounded in truth, neither fearful nor vengeful, that calmly appeals to what is right and true, asking to be judged fairly rather than cowering or retaliating. Such a response holds our dignity, refuses both fear and vengeance, and appeals to truth. We do well, when wronged, to respond as Jesus did, with a calm, truthful, dignified appeal, rather than in fear or retaliation. Respond to mistreatment with composed dignity and appeal to truth. Neither cower in fear nor lash out in retaliation. A calm, truthful response holds our dignity in the face of wrong. Follow Jesus, who met injustice with measured truth, not fear or vengeance.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can respond to injustice with a calm appeal to truth, neither cowering nor retaliating, as Jesus met being struck with composed, truthful dignity. We can respond to mistreatment either by cowering in fear or by lashing out in retaliation; but Jesus, struck unjustly, did neither, calmly appealing to truth and asking to be judged fairly. His response holds our dignity. When you are wronged or mistreated, do not cower in fear or lash out in retaliation; respond with a calm, truthful, dignified appeal, as Jesus did. Respond to injustice and mistreatment with a calm, truthful, dignified appeal rather than cowering in fear or lashing out in retaliation, as Jesus, when struck by an officer during his questioning, neither cowered nor retaliated but responded, if I have spoken evil, testify of the evil, but if well, why do you beat me; for struck unjustly, Jesus met the wrong not with fear or vengeance but with a measured, truthful appeal, asking that his words be judged fairly, that if he had done wrong it be shown and if not the mistreatment be seen for what it was, a response of composed dignity grounded in truth, which gives us a pattern for responding to injustice, since when we are wronged, treated unjustly, or struck at unfairly, our instinct is often either to cower in fear or to lash out in anger and retaliation, but there is a better way, the way Jesus modeled, a composed response grounded in truth, neither fearful nor vengeful, that calmly appeals to what is right and asks to be judged fairly, holding our dignity, refusing both fear and vengeance, and appealing to truth, so that we do well when wronged to respond as Jesus did.

Lord Jesus, when you are struck by an officer during your questioning, you do not cower or retaliate, but respond with a calm appeal to truth and justice: if I have spoken evil, show it; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me? You answered, if I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me? Struck unjustly, you neither cowered in fear nor lashed out in retaliation; you responded with a measured, truthful appeal, asking that your words be judged fairly. It is a response of composed dignity, neither fearful nor vengeful, grounded in truth. Show me how you responded to being struck unjustly. An officer struck you, a wrongful blow. You could have responded in fear, cowering; or in anger, lashing out. But you did neither. You responded with composed dignity and a calm appeal to truth: if I have spoken evil, then show what the evil was; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me? You asked simply to be judged fairly, that the wrong be shown if there was wrong, and if not, that the injustice be recognized. It was measured, truthful, dignified, neither cowering nor vengeful. This gives me a pattern for responding to injustice and mistreatment. When I am wronged, treated unjustly, my instinct is often either to cower in fear, or to lash out in retaliation. But there is a better way, the way you modeled: a composed response grounded in truth, neither fearful nor vengeful, that calmly appeals to what is right, asking to be judged fairly. Take that to my heart, for I can respond to injustice with a calm appeal to truth, neither cowering nor retaliating. When I am wronged or mistreated, keep me from cowering in fear or lashing out in retaliation; help me respond with a calm, truthful, dignified appeal, Lord, as you did, holding my dignity and appealing to what is right rather than giving way to fear or vengeance.