四月二日
耶稣仍不回答，连一句话也不说……（太27:14）
当他能祝福人们的时候，他毫不迟缓，但是为自己却是缄默无语。“从来没有像他这样说话的”，也从来没有像他这样沉默的。这一次的缄默是表示他的舍己吗?这是表示他既已为我们当作祭物献上，就不发一语任令他人杀害自己吗?他这样完全地奉献，就是在最关紧要的时候自己也毫不伸诉而作一个不挣扎、不抱怨的牺牲品，任人捆绑并杀害吗?这一种缄默是表示罪是无可宽恕的吗?人类的罪是无可逭、无可恕的，所以，他担著整个的重量默然站在审判他的人面前。耐心的沉默不是给好辩驳的世人一个最好的答案吗?安静忍耐比喋喋不休更能彻底回答一些问题。古时基督教最好的辩护人就是那些殉道者。铁砧不知破坏了多少锤头，就是因为它耐心忍受锤头的打击。神安静的羔羊不是给我们一个很好的智慧的榜样吗?每次若听到什么亵渎的话，不要说什么，免得给那种罪火上加油。似是而非和虚伪的，毫无价值和卑贱的，若不予理会终必自行推翻和驳倒，因此有真理的人尽管安静，必会知道缄口不语是一件智慧事。同时，我们的主，因为他的沉默，也应验了先知的话。若他声辩抗诉必与以赛亚的预言有违。“他像羊羔被牵到宰杀之地，又像羊在剪毛的人手下无声，他也是这样不开口。”因为他的缄默，证明他真是神的羔羊。为此，我们今晨当向他致敬。耶稣!愿你与我们同在，在我们心中安静的时候，愿我们听到你爱的声音。
April 2
“He answered him to never a word.” –Matthew 27:14
He had never been slow of speech when He
could bless the sons of men, but He would not say a single word for Himself.
“Never man spake like this Man,” and never man was silent like Him.
Was this singular silence the index of His perfect self-sacrifice? Did it show
that He would not utter a word to stay the slaughter of His sacred person,
which He had dedicated as an offering for us? Had He so entirely surrendered
Himself that He would not interfere in His own behalf, even in the minutest
degree, but be bound and slain an unstruggling, uncomplaining victim? Was this
silence a type of the defenselessness of sin? Nothing can be said in palliation
or excuse of human guilt; and, therefore, He who bore its whole weight stood
speechless before His judge. Is not patient silence the best reply to a
gainsaying world? Calm endurance answers some questions infinitely more
conclusively than the loftiest eloquence. The best apologists for Christianity
in the early days were its martyrs. The anvil breaks a host of hammers by
quietly bearing their blows. Did not the silent Lamb of God furnish us with a
grand example of wisdom? Where every word was occasion for new blasphemy, it
was the line of duty to afford no fuel for the flame of sin. The ambiguous and
the false, the unworthy and mean, will ere long overthrow and confute themselves,
and therefore the true can afford to be quiet, and finds silence to be its
wisdom. Evidently our Lord, by His silence, furnished a remarkable fulfillment
of prophecy. A long defence of Himself would have been contrary to Isaiah’s
prediction. “He is led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before
her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.” By His quiet He
conclusively proved Himself to be the true Lamb of God. As such we salute Him
this morning. Be with us, Jesus, and in the silence of our heart, let us hear
the voice of Thy love.
