{"id":1027,"date":"2010-02-07T03:01:02","date_gmt":"2010-02-07T03:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html"},"modified":"2010-02-07T03:01:02","modified_gmt":"2010-02-07T03:01:02","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Time to Be Quiet and a Time to Speak<\/h3>\n

READ Mark 14:41-65<\/a><\/p>\n

Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, \u201cWell, aren\u2019t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?\u201d But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, \u201cAre you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark 14:60-61<\/a><\/p>\n

After Jesus was arrested, he was taken to the home of the high priest, where he was interrogated by Jewish leaders from Jerusalem. Many witnesses offered testimony against Jesus, but their stories were not sufficient to condemn him. As he was being accused, Jesus remained silent.
\nAfter a while, the high priest stood up and asked Jesus, \u201cWell, aren\u2019t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?\u201d (14:60). Jesus said nothing. Then the high priest asked, \u201cAre you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?\u201d (14:61). Jesus finally spoke: \u201cI AM. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God\u2019s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven\u201d (14:62).
\nOn Monday, I\u2019ll reflect upon the meaning of Jesus\u2019 answer, and why it got him into such trouble. For now I want simply to note that, for Jesus, his trial was not a time to fill the room with words. It was as if he was living the line from Ecclesiastes 3:7: \u201c[There is a] time to be quiet and a time to speak.\u201d
\nWe don\u2019t know exactly what motivated Jesus to be so quiet, and then to speak so bluntly. He may have sensed the inadequacy of words to communicate in such an unfriendly context. It may be that Jesus felt no need to defend himself when he knew and had accepted the outcome of his trial. But, no matter Jesus\u2019 exact motivation, his example reminds us that there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak.
\nThese days, our world is filled with anything but quiet. Endless words pummel us from sources human and electronic. And we can add to the empty, oppressive chatter. I\u2019ll confess to doing this way too often. I need to learn to wait upon the Lord, to listen well before I speak, and to use my words judiciously. Perhaps you do too.
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>: Do you tend to be a person of quiet or a person of speaking? When do you use too many words? Why? What helps you to be quiet, to listen, and to speak wisely?
\nPRAYER<\/strong>: O Lord, I don\u2019t really know why you were so quiet during your trial. Honestly, a part of me wishes that you had spoken up, that you had defended yourself. I wish you had called up a battalion of angels in self-defense. But you knew better. You knew what was right at that time. You knew it was a time, mostly for quiet, and then for blunt speech.
\nHelp me, Lord, to be wise even as you are wise. Help me to know when to be quiet, as well as when to speak. Teach me to listen deeply to those around me, to honor them by my receptive silence. And then, by your Spirit, help me to speak words of truth . . . not too many, but just the right numbers.
\nIn your name I pray, Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?\u00a0 <\/strong>
\nHere’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Time to Be Quiet and a Time to Speak READ Mark 14:41-65 Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, \u201cWell, aren\u2019t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?\u201d But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Time to Be Quiet and a Time to Speak READ Mark 14:41-65 Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, \u201cWell, aren\u2019t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?\u201d But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him,…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-02-07T03:01:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"A Time to Be Quiet and a Time to Speak READ Mark 14:41-65 Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, \u201cWell, aren\u2019t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?\u201d But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him,…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2010-02-07T03:01:02+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg"}],"author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html","name":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg","datePublished":"2010-02-07T03:01:02+00:00","dateModified":"2010-02-07T03:01:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-82.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}