When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
“Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him?
But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”
…before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him.”