The Power of Innuendo
“If he were not a criminal we would not have handed him over to you.”
John 18:30 (NIV)
I remember the situation very clearly. A friend of mine belonged to a certain organization, and the leadership said he’d done something wrong and had to go.
An announcement was made to tell the membership of the decision, but no specific charges were given. Imaginations ran wild about what he had done to deserve being thrown out of the group.
Has something like this happened to you? Have you ever had innuendo spread about your reputation? Have people implied that you were to blame for something, but never actually told you what it was?
To have others rob you of your reputation by falsely accusing you and not giving a reason why is painful and wrong. It’s also unbiblical.
“Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.“ (Proverbs 24:28. ESV)
Jesus was in exactly that position as the Jews brought Him before the Roman governor and asked for the death penalty.
Pilate wanted to know the crime that merited the death penalty and, at first, Jesus’ accusers were unwilling to state it. The Romans weren’t concerned, after all, about someone going around calling himself God. To the Jews, however, calling yourself God was blasphemy, and it merited the death penalty.
So His accusers, using innuendo, hinted that Jesus was a criminal. “If he were not a criminal … we would not have handed him over to you.”(John 18:30)
Perhaps this has happened to you. Someone suggests you’ve been a bad parent to have your child turn out as they have; or a poor spouse in order to have your partner leave.
Well, God has been placed in the same situation—if you think about it. Some of His children have behaved in sinful ways. When Peter denied Jesus (John 18:15-27), or when he was rebuked in public by Paul (Galatians 2:11-16), or when King David committed adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11:1-27). Was God a bad parent because His children acted this way?
If you have people gossip and say things against you wrongly, remember the One Who created you. He could be accused of wrongdoing because of His people’s actions as well.
In the case of Jesus, everything He said (and did) was right, yet He was accused.
“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.“ (Mark 14:55-56 NIV)
If you’ve been falsely accused, as Jesus was, come to Him and seek comfort. He understands what it’s like to have lies spoken against Him. He can comfort as no other can.