How Jesus Dealt with Criticism
06/04/10 05:25 Filed in: Criticism
Jesus dealt with His critics by simply pointing out the inconsistency in their thinking: first, they had said John the Baptist was too ascetic; then they had said Jesus was too liberal. There was no satisfying them. They were like petulant children changing the rules in the middle of a game.
“Wisdom is justified by her works.” (Matthew 11: 16-19)
The Pharisees saw themselves as wisdom figures and Jesus as an upstart, itinerant preacher. They hassled Him and harangued Him. But, when they discovered the Lord’s knowledge of scripture outstripped their own, they decided to challenge His character, instead of His claims.
They said Jesus was a glutton and a drunkard because he ate and drank in public. They said He was a sinner because He surrounded Himself with tax collectors and harlots. Jesus wouldn’t play by their rules; He wouldn’t dance to their tune.
Jesus dealt with His critics by simply pointing out the inconsistency in their thinking: first, they had said John the Baptist was too ascetic; then they had said Jesus was too liberal. There was no satisfying them. They were like petulant children changing the rules in the middle of a game.
The magnitude of the Pharisees’ error would be plain for all to see when Jesus made known through His death on the cross that He was the true Messiah. Then the wisdom of His message would be justified by His works.
To some extent we are all subject to the error in thinking that led to the Pharisees’ mistake. That is, we may reject someone’s ideas based solely on his or her superficial traits rather than on the intrinsic merits of the ideas. For example:
- Married couples might dismiss the counsel of a priest simply because he has never been married.
- Voters might reject a candidate simply because of his race.
- Patients might ignore a physician’s advice because the doctor is a smoker.
- Kids might not listen when they’re told to study because their parents weren’t good students.
The ability to hear and heed sound advice is commended in scripture where we are told in Proverbs 12: 15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.”
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