Imagine giving someone the shirt off your back—helping them in ways no one else could or would. You sacrifice your time, effort, and energy to support them, only to have them stab you in the back. Perhaps you’ve experienced this. Even now, as you read, your memory flashes back to that person who hurt you and all the things you wish you could say to them.
Jesus also experienced this, but on a much larger scale. People He healed, delivered, and who witnessed His great and mighty miracles still turned against Him, despite having no reason to be offended. Some even wished Him dead. He had every right to be angry, to yell, to wish them the worst. But instead, He chose the path of righteousness.
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.” Isaiah 53:7
What a powerful lesson the Lord Jesus left us. Yes, it is easier—and sometimes within our right—to defend ourselves against slander, betrayal, and hurt. But follow the example of Jesus: remain silent. Allow God to fulfill what He promised in His Word. Instead of reacting in the flesh, respond in the Spirit. Anoint your lips, and allow God to bring justice into your life.
May the God of the Bible bless you!
Bishop Bira Joshua
