-Ignatius of Antioch
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Jesus wasn’t jabbery, as our culture at present is very jabbery. He never promoted abundance of words but expression of important truth, and that expression may ring out more clearly in living than in talking.
Many times He gave no answer to questions put to Him. In silence before the accusers of the woman caught in adultery, he bent low and wrote in the dust, speaking nothing till at last His short bone-and-marrow-dividing sentence (John 8:3-8). He refused to get himself entangled in petty legal debates (Lk 12:13-14). Even Before Pilate “He opened not His mouth,” (Mt 27:13-14; Is 53:7; Acts 8:32). Often he gave similar non-response. And often He withdrew to the silence of the deserted place, to be alone with the Father (Lk 5:16).
May I silence my own jabber, and realize I need not give the answer to every question, enter into every debate, always speak up and out. As I read the Gospels, and the mini gospels in the Epistles, may I be aware of His silence and listen to it, and learn from it, and live it.
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Wow. I really like your post today. Jesus wasn’t all blabby was he? He said what was needed to say, and I think he listened a lot.
Love your quotes too. They give anchor to your words. This will give me confirmation to be quiet sometimes, instead of always ‘weighing in.’
Happy Weekend,
Ceil
Ceil, it’s a lesson I need to review and remember, and take to heart. (Thanks for “weighing in” here today, though!)
Words to live by. Blessings, Kasey
Right, Kasey. Now may I just do that!
“Let…” Oh, that I would “let” … “Let [me] … do all things as those who have Him dwelling in [me], that [I] may be His temple, and He may be in [me] as God.”
“Let Christ speak in [me], even as He did in Paul.”
“Let the Holy Spirit teach [me] to speak the things of Christ in like manner as He did.”
May I let Him… and may I be still, silent, and anticipating His Presence.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Hi, Linda,
So good to “see” you here. Yes, “Oh that I would ‘let'”! Step by step, don’t you think, Linda? Trying to be silent for increasing amounts of time. What’s really hard is being out among friends and checking the running at the mouth. But what wisdom there is in it!
Loved the quote. How very true that I need not have all the answers. Nor do I need to respond to everything. Sometimes more is spoken in the silence, the stillness. Thank you for sharing this thought today. I visited from Sunday Stillness. Blessings!
“Sometimes more is spoken in the silence, the stillness.” Yes, Joanne, I think so, too. Thank you for visiting and commenting. God bless!
True words that we would all do well to ponder! Reminds me of the section in Ecclesiastes 3 when we are told there is a time to speak and a time to keep quiet.
Blessings to you this Sabbath day!
Yes, Marty, I’ve thought of that verse in Ecclesiastes 3 quite often lately. Rich blessings back to you.
Amen to that. May I included in this discipline…
Join the club, Floyd! And discipline is the right word, too!
Beautiful post and timely reminder for
me with Godly insight as I venture into a new beginning….
Blessings on your day!
God bless your new beginning, Donna. Thanks for stopping by again.
That photo evokes silence and illustrates your post so beautifully. The hush in the snow is one of the loveliest in our constantly drumming world, isn’t it? Silence gives ear to listening more too… attuning our ears and hearts. Lovely.
Pam, sometimes I push open the window when the snow is like that, just to “listen to” the special stillness that often comes with it. And yes, silence definitely “gives ear to listening more.” You’re ahead of me and a post I have planned for this next week!
I wanted to comment, but I decided to be silent. 😉
almost.
Oh, you’re funny! Love you, sister! Thanks for the chuckle—er, guffaw! Blessings on your (almost silent?) week!
May we be silent long enough to hear what our God is saying to us. He does not jabber, but will speak to our heart truth and guidance as we listen and wait.
Hazel, you are so right, and also ahead of me in this comment, re a post I have in mind for this week—one I think qualifies for “Tell Me a True Story.” Hope to see you there!
You know, as I acquire more years (and hopefully wisdom) I am much quicker to walk away from a debate or discussion…or to simply not bother correcting something.
For me, it is largely a matter of wise use of resources. I have limited time and energy and I’d rather not waste it on a discussion that is unlikely to be fruitful.
I wonder if that was the case with the many times Jesus was silent…that He knew his words would not change anything, so He kept silent.
In the case of the woman caught in adultery, His silence seems to have been more powerful than words would have been.
Even in His prayers, Jesus often mentioned that the words were being spoken for the benefit of others, rather than for the benefit of Himself or the Father.
He seems to have used words sparingly and with great discretion.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post!
Joe
And thanks for your thoughtful comment, Joe. Jesus did seem to use “words sparingly and with great discretion,” and indeed our hours and minutes of earth time are such a valuable, and limited commodity, it really is important not to waste it on fruitless conversation.