Today's "Moment with Mark" (108)
13 March, 2013
Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would testify against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But their efforts were in vain. Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other. (Mark 14:55-57 NLT)
One of the powerful results of living a life of integrity and transparency is that those who oppose and criticise us will find it very difficult "to make the mud stick". Such was the openness of Jesus' life and ministry that those who were trying to "dig up the dirt on Him" failed miserably. Conflicting accounts regarding His life, His preaching, His social life and His supposed strategy to destroy the Temple meant that the evidence against Him would have to be manufactured.
There is nothing that will "shut the critics down" quite like an appeal to the truth. You can see this happening back in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked that question about why they didn't arrest Him in daylight at the Temple. The fact is that men love darkness rather than light. Light overpowers darkness.
Sometimes critics are what we most need insofar as the basis of their criticism may have a measure of legitimacy about it and we will be the poorer if we don't humble ourselves, recognize the need and even thank the critic for his/her insight.
Does anyone come to mind?