Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

When I was 13 years old, my new faith inspired a radical lifestyle change. Almost immediately after I accepted Jesus and symbolized my declaration of faith in baptism, I was verbally, mentally, and physically bullied in high school. I moved, spoke, and made choices that made me an atypical teenager. Purity, academic excellence, and a social circle limited to only those who shared my spiritual beliefs—which, at the time, was non-existent—were the hallmark of my time as a young believer.

For bullies, differences can be perceived as a weakness. Yet, Scripture guarantees for those who are righteous, their favor will serve as their shield (Psalm 5:12). My kingdom-minded living protected me from all the grave consequences my peers suffered from their worldly indulgences. Child bullies rarely change; instead, they take their practiced and mastered behavior into adult experiences such as their communities, the workforce, and sadly, their worship spaces.

This is where we land in our reading today: religious bullies. Bullies, like the Pharisees, prey on people they perceive to be a threat or who they dislike because of differences. The Pharisees attempted to shut Jesus down so he was not a threat to them. How?

The Pharisees weaponized Old Testament law to (1) measure and identify righteousness and unrighteousness, which gave them power to (2) exclude and place uneducated believers on the sidelines of always missing the mark. This level of manipulation gave the Pharisees (3) absolute control of a people who respected and trusted them to deliver the truth. For the religious bully, Jesus was a threat.

When the Pharisees accused Jesus of violating Sabbath law because His disciples were eating grains picked on the Sabbath, Jesus used the very tool the Pharisees had been misusing to exact control – The Old Testament. Jesus’ mic drop moment silenced the Pharisees’ when Jesus cited an example of David, who took bread from God’s house on the Sabbath to feed his army (1 Samuel 21:6). God’s laws were never meant to get in the way of taking care of the necessities of life (Matthew 12:1-8). Jesus again drops Old Testament truth from Hosea 6:6, revealing God’s preference of mercy rather than sacrifice.

Next, the Pharisees demonstrated another tactic: Moving the Goalpost. Bullies use this form of manipulation when they can’t control the outcome with one expectation, they use another—even after evidence proved their first argument invalid. The Pharisees accused Jesus of violating Sabbath laws when he healed a disabled man (Matthew 12:9-14). Jesus turned the tables on them with a question, “Who wouldn’t help their sheep if it fell into a pit on Sabbath?” Of course, they would. The point? The Pharisees were willing to do for a sheep what they wouldn’t do for a hurting man. Acts of mercy did not dishonor the Sabbath but honored God.

The Pharisees moved the goalpost again when they could no longer implicate Jesus on the Sabbath. They accused Him of getting his healing power from Satan. Jesus cleverly answered, “If Satan drives out Satan, he’s divided against himself” (Matthew 12:22-24). The only alternative then was the truth: that Jesus drove out demons because of The Spirit of God (Matthew 12:25-32). This was not enough. The Pharisees asked for a sign, and Jesus obliged them by saying like Jonah was in the belly of a whale, so will the Son of God be for three days.

How can you respond to religious bullies in the same way that Jesus did? Prayer and education. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, our comforter, our helper, our advocate, and our counselor (John 14:26 and John 16:13). When you are educated in Scripture, it also empowers you to answer to the challenges placed before you. To have this kind of weapon in your arsenal, time with God is paramount.

Reflection:

• Use a bringvitation card to invite others to come and see the presence of God. Use the bringvitation cards to leave at businesses, start conversations with strangers, or insert in envelopes when you mail bills. There are so many ways you can invite others to come and see.
• This week, allow others to see you as different - an ambassador for Jesus- by being kind, patient, and not easily angered.
• Pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me the courage to hear, accept, and pass on the truth of your love as the law upon which all other laws hang. Your death has fulfilled the Old Testament, and I am no longer bound by those laws. Give me transparency to be a come-and-see vehicle for your church and the courage to live out Venture’s mission of going forth with the Gospel.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Matthew 12

Author: Cooper Herrington

Have you ever been the boss or been in charge? Maybe it was a project at school, the line leader, playing a game, or something you were doing at your house. In the Bible today we are going to read about Jesus being in charge of everything. Jesus was traveling with His disciples when the Pharisees came up to Jesus to question Him. The Pharisees were people who had a lot of knowledge about the Bible, but they used their knowledge to make other people feel bad about themselves instead of using their knowledge to love God more. Jesus gave them an answer they were not expecting.

Jesus told the Pharisees He had authority over the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a special day that is set apart from the rest of the week. It is a day to rest, be loved by God, and love God. It is a holy day. Jesus said He had control over the Sabbath, the special day. The holiest person was in charge of the holiest day of the week. What do you think about Jesus being in control? How does that make you feel? What do you want to tell Jesus?

• Prayer: God, You are great! Thank You for being in control of everything. Thank You for loving me. Amen.