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“Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see him because he had heard about him and was hoping to see some miracle performed by him. So he kept asking him questions, but Jesus did not answer him.” (Luke 23:8–9)

Jesus stands before Herod, expected to perform a miracle while being accused by the religious leaders of blasphemy and sedition. A miracle may well have satisfied Herod, but that's not why Jesus is here. Instead, he chooses to be silent, despite the accusations, despite the ridicule that will follow. And despite Jesus' silence, the gospel prevails.

It's a noisy world and, as Christians, we often feel compelled to join in the noise, adding our two bob's worth. It's important that the truth be told, but Jesus' shows us that whether we speak or not, whether people are interested in the truth or not, the truth shall prevail. Whether we feel silenced or choose to be silent (as Jesus did), the gospel will be heard, the Kingdom of God will come.

This gives us real freedom in our conversations. We are free to operate on the basis of love, not fear. What is needed in this situation? If someone is genuine, it is probably right to give an answer. But there may well be times we discern that somone is not being fair or genuine - they just want a win. Maybe we should let them have it because, in the end, there is only one winner, and his name is Jesus.