Her Life, His Way

You’ve seen the posts, right? Those engaging little articles with titles such as:

• A Salesman Commented on This Woman’s Age. Her Response? Priceless!
• This Girl Got the PERFECT Revenge on the Facebook Bullies Who Trolled Her Bikini Photo.  
• She Was Bullied on Facebook, Her Response Is Epic.
• Bullies Called This Woman Disgusting And Fat. Her Response On Facebook? EPIC!

…and on and on. These catchy headlines with promises of revenge and intrigue are almost too irresistible; they absolutely must be clicked on and shared around and as a consequence spread like wildfire. We love drama. We love someone fighting back. We love haters being publicly set down. We love revenge.

Now I’m going to tell you a story of a man who was publicly humiliated and his response  really was priceless. 

All through his life he was hated by people. He wasn’t incredibly good looking, and he certainly wasn’t what everyone expected him to be. Not being rich or powerful, his way in life wasn’t easy. As an adult, he was practically homeless and would have likely had to sleep out in the streets if it weren’t for the hospitality of a few good friends. 

Despite his great charity and kindness towards the sick and outcasts of society, he was hated greatly by powerful men of religion. They harassed him constantly, trying to get him to slip up on his words, hoping that maybe they could embarrass him – or better yet, have him killed. 

Finally, these men just wanted to get rid of him. They’d had enough. They wanted him to die. But they hated him so much that it wasn’t enough for him to just die. They spat on him. They made fun of him. They swore at him. They struck him with their hands. They struck him with ropes and beat him with sticks.  They accused him wrongly of terrible things. 

As they struck him and mocked him and accused Him – He could have stood up for Himself and brought them down with just a word from His lips. He could have had them all die with just a prayer to his Father for 12 legions of angels to come to His aid. 

Now that would have been our idea of an epic response – if we are the kind of person who likes stories of revenge and enemies receiving their comeuppance. But that wasn’t His response.Instead, He endured the suffering graciously, quietly, sinlessly. He wasn’t what they expected and He wasn’t what they wanted – but He was everything they needed. He’s everything that we need too, but if we are the kind of people who love revenge and smarmy comebacks to personal insults, He’s not really what we expect or want either. 

He said nothing in his defense. Nothing.

“When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). 

…and yet we blow up Facebook when we think someone says we look old.

| HOW JESUS REALLY RESPONDED TO ATTACKS

I see too many people share about how Jesus overturned tables and we can do that too. Well, ok, yeah, He did – but when did He do that? He did that when the Lord’s house was being attacked (Mark 11:15-17).

Whenever He personally was attacked, He was a lamb – meek, and silent. It wasn’t that He was weak, spineless, or incapable of fighting for Himself – He just knew how fighting for Himself would defeat His ultimate purpose. He kept His strength under control and in reserve for when He needed to fight the Lord’s battle, not His own.

This is a hard lesson for me. It doesn’t come easily for me to back away – and even more difficult is the idea of being silent. I love a fight. My instinct is to fly out in rage first and think later when I am personally attacked. Sarcastic remarks fly quickly to the tip of my tongue – but my Lord showed me a different response. He was publicly humiliated, and His response was priceless.  

| SAVE YOUR ENERGY FOR THE REAL FIGHT 

Save your fight for the important battles – fight when the Lord and His people are attacked. But when the attack is on you? Make your response gentle. 

Strive to win souls, not battles. 

“Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luke 23:47)

If my Lord chose to be silent in the face of death and vicious attack upon His person and character, I can certainly bear attacks on my character, body, and age graciously in this age of revenge and Facebook drama.  I don’t need to take my grievances to the world to gain a few minutes of fame and praise. I can save my boldness for when the cause of Christ needs me to be a warrior.

In the meantime, I can seek to win over those people that hurt me with their words by showing them kindness and recognising the value of silence.

| SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON 

Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53). 

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)

“For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:19-24). 

“So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer” (Luke 23:9).

“Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.”But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.” (Matthew 27:11-14).

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:18-21)

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them” (Romans 12:14). 

“Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luke 23:47)

*  *  *  *  *

Love this post? Sign up now to receive my weekly newsletter and a FREE copy of my ebook (packed with healthy grain free recipes and a meal plan complete with shopping list), and follow me on Facebook and Instagram.