Just want to “clarify” a few things

Have you ever heard this one?

This little phrase is sort of like the Christian catch all for every conceivable sin of the tongue. I mean, lets think about this one for a moment…

Example One: A lot of times when someone is jealous of someone else and they are “caught” red handed in their sin (yes, jealousy is a sin), they will take the immediate opportunity to, “Clarify” a few things about what the “misinformed” person is categorizing as jealousy. The “Clarification” often goes something like this…

“Who me, jealous? No, I’m not jealous, I’m just ‘concerned.’ I’m ‘concerned’ that this (‘this’ meaning, again, whatever they’re jealous of) might be happening for the wrong reasons (insert here, ‘any reason other than our own’). The jealous (oops, I mean, “concerned”) party then uses the listing of concerns as a chance to spread rumors and even slander about the person they are jealous, oops, I mean, ‘concerned’ about.

Example Two: Or maybe you had high hopes that things at work, with friends, in the neighborhood, at church, etc. would go differently (read here, “your way”) then they have actually gone and so you decide to leave.

BUT…

You’re worried that people might take your leaving the “wrong way” (read here, that your divisiveness was wearing thin and you had to seek out greener pastures more open to your agenda, oops, I meant, “God’s will.”) so you attempt to “clarify.”

Example Three: “That’s not what I meant by that! Let me clarify!” <– Truth? The first thing you said is exactly what you meant. It’s what comes next that ends up being the lie, but you’ve been found out, so now you need to “clarify.”

It’s funny, Jesus never seemed that interested in “clarifying” things in order to “set the record straight.” In fact, He left the record crooked, with holes in it, or a complete mystery His entire earthly ministry. And that same record’s been attacked, bent, twisted, distorted, rewritten, misinterpreted and manipulated ever since. Yet even still…

He never defended.

Seldom explained.

And NEVER EVER practiced spin control.

Perhaps the most striking example of this can be found in the final hours of His life on this earth when Pilate stood before Him and asked Jesus to, essentially, defend Himself against the many accusations that were being leveled against Him. Pilate was giving Jesus one last chance to “clarify” His position. But Jesus refused to defend Himself. Jesus wasn’t into “clarification control.” And people aren’t used to that. It frustrated Pilate to no end. Read the following:

4So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” Mark 15:4

But Jesus said nothing.

He was living His life for an audience of one.

His heavenly Father.

And God the Father knew exactly what was going down.

So did Jesus.

Are we clear?

Good.