The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: Psalm 28

“But Jesus remained silent.”
Matthew 26:63

The Silence of Jesus

When false witnesses arose in the court of Caiaphas and accused Jesus of many things, Jesus answered nothing. For their absurd, foolish lies, silence was His only answer. He who had patiently answered the often foolish questions of His disciples; he who had been ready to stay up late with Nicodemus to open to him new vistas of God’s love; He who paused often to comfort those who labors and were heavy laden – now remains silent. It is a sad and awesome judgement of God when He no longer speaks.
The person who says, “it doesn’t bother me when I do what God forbids or fail to do what he asks,” should be afraid, not proud. This means God has been silent as is no longer speaking! The silence will be broken only when God speaks again on the Last Day: “Depart from Me.” We join the Psalmist in the prayer: “be not deaf to me, lest, if You be silent to me, I become like those who go down into the pit” [Psalm 28:1].
Amid the noise of this earth may I hear You speak, O God. Keep me from saying or doing anything to bring Your silence upon me. Amen.

March 24, 1962