The silent or near-silent facial expression of contempt — mockery without words, dismissal with a curled lip. The Greek ekmukterizo (literally to turn the nose up at) is used twice in Luke's Gospel to describe the response of Christ's opponents. In Luke 16:14, the Pharisees, who were covetous, hear Christ's teaching on money and derided him. In Luke 23:35 at the cross, the rulers derided Christ as He hung dying. The sneer is the response of those who consider themselves above the speaker. It is distinguished from articulate disagreement (which engages the substance) by its refusal to engage at all — the sneer says this is beneath my consideration, often by people whose own position cannot survive consideration. The Christian who has been sneered at for Christ's sake is in good company: Christ Himself was sneered at first. The proper response to the sneer is not the counter-sneer but the steady truth that the sneer cannot finally answer.