The Best Thing to Say

December 5

Read Mark 11:33

Pray: Holy Spirit— bind my tongue when it needs it, and let it loose when it must. Amen.

Hear:

If you have read anything else that I have written, you know this: I. Love. Sassy. Jesus.

Don’t hear me incorrectly— I believe Jesus is the Son of God, begotten, not created, God from God— but dang, this man could also be v sassy. And in our passage today, we get to hear from our sassy Lord. Jesus is approached by people who are in charge that are (again) trying to trap him into saying or doing something that could impune his character. They wanted a mistake and what they received instead was sass.

Alright, I will stop saying sass/sassy.

Jesus is showing us an example of how to respond when we hear something that is out of line with what is kind or good or loving. I know that I might be showing my youth pastor stripes here, but if you cannot say anything nice, say nothing at all. Maybe I need to say that because I wonder if we have all (especially yours truly) forgotten this adage. We must remember that our words have power.

Jesus could have just shouted. He could have mocked them. He could have gone out of his way to prove these guys (they were all men) were wrong and dumb and not worth his time. Instead, he asked questions. He instigated curiosity. And, he did not stoop down to engage with a conversation that was crafted to entrap him.

One more adage— when you wrestle a pig, you get dirty and the pig likes it. Today, dear sibling, wrestle no pigs. Remember whose you are and (an adage!) know that you do not have to attend every fight you are invited to.

Respond:

How do I allow myself to wrestle in fights I don’t need to attend?

Meditation:

Sometimes the best thing to say…