Daily Devotion: Luke 22:63-71

This year being an election year, I'm thinking a lot about "going on the defensive." We've all had times of being misrepresented, even slandered. Our first instinct is to get angry, and shoot the accusations right back. "Hey, that's not what I said! And what about when you did/said this?"
That's the game the Council wants to draw Jesus into. They want to corner him in some blasphemy. They want him to lash out and defend himself. Jesus responds without anxiety. He essentially says, "Nothing I can say will convince you, but that won't change the truth of who I am.". I think this is a helpful model for us when we are tempted to get drawn into contentious mud-slinging. We can and should stand for what we believe in. The Gospel commands that we do take stands in our society, and some will be unpopular. But rather than getting everybody to agree with us, or casting aspersions on those who don't, we can respond with peace and resolve. Like Jesus, we can say, "We may never convince you, but we will continue to be who we are, and be people of love."
God, help us stand firm in your love. Amen.