Bullied

We are living in a world where bullying is almost constantly in the news. A world where we think it is just kids on a playground teasing each other. A world where on a "good" day it is "just" words and not fists....or guns. A world where social media can sing your good graces or broadcast your greatest failure instantly to millions of people. A world where it is not just children picking on each other.

One might think that bullying is a new trend or maybe we just hear about it more frequently. Bullying takes on many forms and there is even an instance of it in the Bible.

Jesus came as a teacher, a prophet, a teller of stories that had a deeper meaning and as a leader of twelve disciples that were hand-picked by him. He went into towns and did miracles of feeding thousands of people with only a small amount of food available. He healed people who had been sick for YEARS just by their asking....or touching his robe. He raised his friend from the dead 4 DAYS after he had died. People saw miracles. People wanted Jesus to be a King.

They gave him a parade as he entered town:

John 12:13 (NLT) took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,
“Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”

However, when someone starts to get a following, there are also those that are not happy with how things are turning out. Maybe that someone is trying to take away their perceived power. Maybe it is "just" as simple as they feel threatened.

In this case, the "they" are the religious leaders at the time. Jesus was cutting in on their gig. He wasn't letting them get away being as holy as they let on. It sounds like they wanted people to act one way while they went on acting holier than thou and making new rules for others to follow that they usually were not following themselves.

They tried to trick Jesus into answering questions in a way that they felt justified their dissatisfaction. When Jesus would question them back, they knew how popular he was becoming and that they were losing ground.

They finally had enough and found a way to get him in front of a governor and demanded the death penalty by crucifixion. The governor wasn't having it. He declared Jesus not guilty. He said he would have Jesus whipped and let go. He sent Jesus to Herod. Also, not guilty. They put Jesus on trial and He did not give them the answers they wanted. In fact, most of the time, he was silent, said "you have said", or questioned them back which made the leaders more angry. They finally nailed him by having others state that Jesus had said he was the son of God.

Then things got even more ugly and it is obvious that bullying is not a new practice.

Matthew 26:67-68 (NLT) Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”

Matthew 27:27-31 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

Matthew 27:37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Matthew 27:39-44 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way. 

Those that were chanting "crown Him!" and waved palm branches when He rode into town were the same ones yelling "crucify Him!" as they watched nails being driven above the palms of His hands. The same hands that would have been so willing.....that still are....so willing to grab on to ours. No matter where we are in life. No matter what we have done. He is willing and able to be our King.

John 14:27-29 (NLT) “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

Thankfully, that wasn't the end of the story......

and the answer is....... What was the question?

I loved teaching Sunday School....especially the younger kids.  We would sometimes start out by asking questions.  The kids got used to a lot of the answers being "Jesus".  Eventually as the year went on, we would barely get the question started and the kids would start raising their hands and whispering and I could see their mouths saying "Jesus".  Which is great except that wasn't the answer to the question we were asking.  ex.  Who was a little boy that wore a coat of many colors?  (Joseph)  JESUS  Always made me smile....still does.

Jesus is the answer to a lot of life's issues.  Sometimes we try every other answer we can think of first...and then turn to Jesus as a last resort.  Sometimes we'll try an answer along with Jesus and question which one really worked.  Sometimes we pray first, then act and we are sure the answer was Jesus.

I typed "Jesus answer" into Bible Gateway to find a verse or 2 to go along with this.  I was surprised how many verses came up that started with "Jesus answered".  In the NIV version, they are in the 4 gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Matthew 4  When the devil tempted Jesus after 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus answered by saying "it is written".   This is a good reminder to us that when things get tough, looking into God's word and reminding ourselves of the promises there can help us through the questions we have.

Sometimes Jesus answered a question with a question as the religious rulers at the time were trying to trap him. 

Matthew 21:23-24 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”  Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Sometimes Jesus stayed silent even when asked a question.  Sometimes the best answer IS no answer.

Matthew 26:62-63  Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent.

Many times Jesus is the answer, but people in His days on Earth and even now will not acknowledge Jesus as the answer.

Luke 22:66-68 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”   Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.

What are some of the questions you're facing right now?  Are you willing to seek out answers and accept the fact that in our lives the answer really is Jesus?

Gethsemane - Place of surrender

OK, honestly, I should have written about this around Good Friday time, but as I've warned you before: I procrastinate....and I didn't think of this until today when the word surrender came up yet again!

I'm also thinking of Easter a little differently this year. You know how at Christmas you kind of promise yourself to keep that giving spirit going into the new year or to really be "in the moment"? And then right around January 2 or 3 when everybody heads back to school and time gets short, you stop having that Christmas feeling. (If not, maybe it's just me!) ;) I would like to think of Easter that way this year. Not just a one day/weekend thing, but reminding myself throughout the coming weeks that Jesus rose from the dead and we serve a risen, living King!

While I was thinking about surrender, I got to thinking about Jesus in Gethsemane. He went there to pray before the mob came to get him. He knew what was coming. He'd been preparing for it for about 33 years. He took some of his buddies, presumably to keep watch and maybe even pray for him...yeah, they fell asleep....not once, but three times! Meanwhile, Jesus is going through some serious agony.

Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV) 36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Even Jesus had to surrender his will and let God's will be done. I take comfort in these verses. It shows a very human side to Jesus. He felt troubled and overwhelmed with sorrow. Mark 14:33 says in part he was deeply distressed. He asked for the burden to be taken away, but asked that God's will be done. If it is possible, take it away. "Not as I will, but as you will" "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" If it is not possible, unless I do it "May your will be done". Jesus surrendered His own will so we would have the right to choose to surrender to God as well. Jesus knows how hard that is.

He knows the overwhelmed troubled feelings. Given a choice, we'd probably all ask for our paths to be a little (or maybe a lot!) smoother. However, knowing Jesus came out victorious should give us comfort that even as Jesus hung on the cross, God was waiting for him to come home. Same as He is for us....waiting....and watching us grow in the process.

Praying for Easter blessings that continue on throughout the year. May you feel God's arms around you when you're at your worst...and God's arms raised in victory when you're at your best! May you feel valuable because Jesus has paid the ultimate price for you. Easter blessings!