Mute Cowardice

Matthew 21:23-27 NKJV 

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"

But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?"

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."

And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."


Dear God,

There comes a time to speak. Such a time is now. But it is dangerous to speak. The tide of public opinion seeks to silence truth. Grant me courage to speak in a time like this.

The chilling effect of political correctness seeks to silence truth. The truth of the value of human life is silenced. The truth of the value of the unborn is silenced. The truth of God’s design for holy marriage between one man and one woman for life is silenced.

In place of truth, a new morality is proclaimed. Moral relativism is the idol of today and tolerance is her theological foundation. The priests and priestesses of postmodernism and political correctness parade themselves and opine their virtues in ubiquitous media proclamations.

Courageous prophets of truth are intolerable to the theologians of tolerance, so we are bullied, intimidated, and shoved into silence. Often, mute cowardice replaces courage. I don’t want to be exploited, embarrassed, or to suffer an execution of my character because of my stand for truth. But such may be my lot. Grant me courage when You require me to suffer for Your Name.

"There is such a thing as the deliberately assumed ignorance of cowardice. If a man consults expediency rather than principle, his first question will be, not, ‘What is the truth?’ but, ‘What is it safe to say?’" (William Barclay in The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2, p. 285).

Lord, preserve me from being sucked into a spiral of silence. Howard Hendricks said, "While the world is screaming for answers, the church is stuttering." Empower me with Your Holy Spirit to speak no "uncertain sound." Liberate me from the instinct of self-preservation which renders me mute. Grant me courage to speak the truth.

In the Name of the One who fills my mouth with truth,

Amen.