Mark 15:1-5: a reflection

Handed over to Pilate and accused of many things by the chief priests, Jesus does something that astonishes the Roman governor: he stays silent. Pilate presses him, Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you! But Jesus makes no further reply, so that Pilate marveled. Before a torrent of accusations, with his life at stake, the innocent one does not defend himself; he answers with silence.

Notice the strength in that silence. It was not the silence of one who had no answer; Jesus could have refuted every charge. It was the silence of one who had entrusted himself and his cause to God, who saw no need to frantically defend himself before an unjust tribunal, who bore the false accusations without answering them in kind. His silence was not weakness but a deep, self-possessed strength, and it amazed even Pilate, who was used to prisoners pleading for their lives.

There is something to learn from that silence. When we are accused, criticized, or attacked, the instinct is to answer every charge, to defend ourselves vigorously, to make sure our side is heard. But there are times when the stronger and wiser response is silence, entrusting our cause to God rather than frantically defending ourselves. Not every accusation needs an answer; sometimes dignified silence, resting in the God who judges justly, speaks louder than any defense. Jesus, facing death on false charges, held his peace. When you are unjustly accused, consider his silence, and learn to entrust your cause to God rather than exhausting yourself in self-defense.