Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:43:42 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (Apr. 5); BP: Is. 53; RBTTY: Lk. 8:26-56; I Samuel 1-3
April 5 “Our Silent Savior”
“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought
as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb—so He
opened not His mouth.”
Isaiah 53:7
His mouth was silent in prayer, but ours should be shouting in praise.
Today’s Manna is one of those that begs for quiet contemplation. It’s
also one of those that disturbs—yea, unnerves—us a bit. We, by nature, are
not too comfortable with silence. And, there’s something about Jesus’ “not
opening His mouth and being brought as a lamb to the slaughter” that makes
us wince in pain.
Why would He. . .the One Who created the universe and all that’s in it
by speaking. . . calmed the wind and the waves by speaking. . .and spoke
with such “authority and power” (Lk. 4:36). . .suddenly go mum when He was
being falsely accused by the Jewish leaders in a hastily thrown-together
kangaroo court?
Why, Jesus? Why did You keep silent?
Had He suddenly lost His courage? Had His intense prayer-time with God
in the Garden of Gethsemane and Judas’ brazen betrayal of Him taken a great
toll on Him? Was He passively resigned to the upcoming crucifixion and
figured “What’s the use?”
Or, could it be that His deafening silence was a true demonstration of
Who He really was/is?
So often our silence is rooted in cowardice. We see and hear injustice
all around us, but too often take the path of least resistance—afraid of the
“consequences” of speaking up. Or, we’re guilty of just the opposite—i.e.,
we cry out in a moment of heated emotion, wishing later we’d kept our mouth
shut.
Yet, there was something “eternally eerie” about Jesus’ silence. His
accusers couldn’t understand it, for they were trying to get Him to lash out
at them in a moment of rage. That’s what they would have done; thus, they
were laying a trap for Him, hoping He’d rise to His own defense and give
them an ill-advised tongue-lashing.
But, He didn’t.
He kept quiet and let them seemingly have their way. It’s likely his
silence and piercing eyes made them feel as if they were the ones on trial.
Even so, they persisted in their brazen ways, trying to ignore the deafening
silence that sprang from His lips.
Most likely, the reason our Savior stayed quiet is because of His
acceptance of the Cross as the Father’s will in the Garden. He would not go
kicking and screaming to the Cross as we’re so prone to do. Instead, with
Divine dignity and sustaining grace He moved toward Calvary and His silence
resounded through the halls of Heaven and the hills of earth as an eloquent
expression of His firm resolve. May we spend some time alone with our Lord
today, quietly pondering Jesus’ silence. In so doing, do not be surprised
if tears roll down your cheeks as praise springs forth from your lips.
_________________________________________________________________
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