There’s a saying that goes, “there is no one more deaf than the one who does not want to hear.” Today’s Gospel shows us the tricky question that the priests and elders of the people pose to Jesus. Their question is not one of wanting to understand but of wanting to have something to accuse Him of. They are annoyed by Jesus’ actions; people follow Him, He teaches with authority compared to them. He doesn’t manipulate the Word for selfish purposes as certain priests and scribes of the time did. Their interpretation of Scripture was so varied that they could say anything and its opposite. Their interpretation left room for ambiguous spaces of understanding.
Jesus, on the other hand, teaches with authority because before proclaiming the word, He lives it, because He speaks with crystal-clear knowledge of the facts. And, also because He is the Word himself. Today’s Gospel shows us how Jesus, in the face of certain questions, doesn’t answer but asks other questions. He wants to bring out what every man carries in his heart: sincerity or malice.
Justifications
A wise piece of advice says: “Never justify yourself. It’s useless.” Why? Because your enemies will never believe your justifications, while your friends do not need your justification because they understand and know you. Perhaps this is why Jesus doesn’t answer the chief priests and elders who question him with malicious intent: “By what authority are you doing these things?” Jesus is not silent because he doesn’t know what to say, but because he knows that any answer he gives would not be accepted. Faced with closed hearts and minds already made up, answering would have been in vain.
Certain questions that are addressed to us do not need an answer. There are people who continually ask questions, but without wanting to listen. There are people who ask questions only to affirm their own thinking and without any desire to get involved. Asking questions without wanting an answer, only to provoke, is the attitude of those who only want to criticize and diminish, of those who live in superficiality.
Certain people only talk to themselves, incapable of true dialogue, as it says in today’s Gospel, “And they discussed it among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From Heaven,” he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “From men,” we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold John to be a prophet.'”
What a sadness to see people incapable of entering into communication with others, who do not wish to grow through constructive dialogue, who live in the presumption that only they possess the truth. “So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ Then he also said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.'”
Be Above Provocations
This attitude of Jesus teaches us a lot. How many times do we let ourselves be drawn into sterile discussions or useless controversies, in an attempt to justify ourselves or to convince those who are already determined not to listen to us? Jesus invites us to be above these provocations, to keep our gaze turned upwards, towards God, instead of lowering ourselves to the level of those who only seek to attack or denigrate us. Silence, in these cases, becomes the most powerful answer.
An ancient Italian proverb says: “Un bel tacer non fu mai scritto.” (A beautiful silence was never written). The beauty of knowing how to be silent at the right time can never be over emphasized. Silence is not weakness, but a form of strength. It is an answer that does not fuel conflict, but that leaves room for reflection and peace. Let us learn, therefore, the art of silence. It does not mean being passive or indifferent, but knowing when to speak and when to be silent. In this, let us follow the example of Jesus, who answers only to God and to his own conscience. As the Gospel teaches us, silence, at times, is the most eloquent voice of all.
Advent Commitment:
Today, as we draw closer to Christmas, pay attention to the situations in which you feel provoked or tempted to justify yourself. Before answering, stop and ask yourself: “Will my answer bring peace or fuel conflict?” If the answer is not necessary, choose silence as a sign of strength and superiority. Furthermore, dedicate a moment to prayer to ask God for the wisdom to know when to be silent and when to speak. Offer a word of peace or a gesture of reconciliation towards someone with whom you have had a confrontation or a misunderstanding.
Fr John Bosco – I must speak only to thank you for an extremely well written and instructive reflection. May Our Lord continue to bless you abundantly this season.
A word of peace offered after a confrontation is good advice to put into action. Recently, I took part in a controversial discussion on bias and prejudice baded on race. I lived these experiences, whereas my friend, had priviledges and did not. I asked what would Jesus do and pointed out that Jesus did not discrimate and in our Catholic social teachings, we are to love and care for every human being and our environment. My friend, also a practicing Catholic, shared that she had a different opinion. But would start listening to the bews more. And since this engagement, my friend was noncommunicative towards me, but not others. I reached out with a kind concern about her husband. She replied thank you. At least the ice is broken, I was able to let her know I care about her and value her. We’ll see if the depth of our friebdship remaibs. I hope so.