I always seem to think of the perfect squelch long after a conversation is over in which someone said something condescending or rude. Those comebacks come to me too late to use. At the same time, I know that those things would never have helped the situation. Therefore, I should be praising God that my spontaneous wit isn’t always so spontaneous.
A smart mouth is not the same thing as intelligent conversation. It is better to say something thought provoking than sharp and stinging. I might slip up and make a quote-worthy statement on rare occasions, but nothing truly profound.
The Pharisees, a scholarly and very strict sect of the Jews, confronted Jesus in an effort to trip Him up so that they could arrest Him. However, Jesus’ answers always confounded them. They didn’t know what to do with Him, so they returned to the Chief Priests empty-handed. Some officers met them to apprehend Jesus and were disappointed to discover He wasn’t there. All the Pharisees could say was, “Never man spake like this man.”
Jesus had the ability to answer confrontation with things that left the challengers murmuring among themselves. He deflected their challenge and gave them something to think about. No person has ever spoken the truth with as much power, grace, and beauty as Jesus. Therefore, I should always be willing to listen to his words, and to sit at his feet and learn heavenly wisdom.
“The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.” John 7:46.
© copyright Kevin T Boekhoff
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