ACC ~ Matthew 27 v13 - 14

HIS SILENCE

MAXIMUS OF TURIN: It might seem remarkable to you, brothers, that the Lord should be accused by the chief priests before the procurator Pilate and should be silent and that he should not refute their wickedness by his response, since indeed a defense which follows quickly is the only way to refute a persistent accusation. It might seem remarkable, I say, brothers, that the Savior should be accused and should remain silent. Silence is occasionally understood as avowal, for when a person does not wish to respond to what is asked of him he appears to confirm what is raised against him. Does the Lord then confirm his accusation by not speaking? Clearly he does not confirm his accusation by not speaking; rather he despises it by not refuting it. For one who needs no defense does well to keep silent, but let one who fears to be overcome defend himself and one who is afraid of being vanquished hasten to speak. When Christ is condemned, however, he also overcomes, and when he is judged he also vanquishes, as the prophet says: “that you should be justified in your words and should vanquish when you are judged.” [1] Why was it necessary for him therefore to speak before being judged, when for him judgment was a complete victory? SERMONS 57.1. [2]

[1] Ps 51:4 (50:6 LXX).

[2] CCL 23:228; ACW 50:137.

HE WAS ACCUSED

ORIGEN: The ministers and elders of western Jewish literature, who are the sons of those chief priests and elders who accused Jesus, still today adopt and repeat these same allegations against him. On this account, since the sins of their forebears go before them and remain in them, their works suffer “[God’s] wrath forever,” [1] and they are forsaken along with their entire people “like a tent in the vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field and like a city besieged.” [2] Just as Jesus “gave no answer” [3] then, neither does he give an answer now to the accusations of the Jewish priests and elders. The Word of God remains silent toward them. Still today they turn a deaf ear to the Word of God, as they previously did to the prophets and to him at the consummation of the ages when he “was made flesh and dwelt among us.” [4] COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 119. [5]

[1] 1 Thess 2:16.

[2] Is 1:8.

[3] Mt 27:12.

[4] Jn 1:14.

[5] GCS 38.2:252. Origen was writing long before the development of modern ethnic anti-Semitism. He had a profound appreciation of the rabbinic tradition and knew that tradition well enough to know that its main complaint against Jesus in the third century had remained the same accusations implied in Mt 27:11-12.