Jesus—Our Model of Peace

Knowing When to Walk Away—and When to Stand

"Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?"

— Luke 9:54 (KJV)

This was James and John's reaction after a Samaritan village refused to receive Jesus as they travelled toward Jerusalem.

Here we see the disciples overcome with wounded pride and perhaps a sense of their own spiritual authority. They were willing to call down fire from heaven, just as Elijah had done, to destroy a small village simply because they felt insulted.

Many of us would probably react the same way if our egos and pride were wounded. In today's language, we might say, "Do you know who I am?" or "I'll show them." We might tell everyone who will listen about the incident or take to social media to lament the interaction. Some might even go as far as writing a review of the small town on TripAdvisor so that no one else goes there.

We occasionally read similar stories in the news when a wealthy or influential person feels they have been treated badly in a shop. If we are honest, we are capable of the same kind of reaction.

But Jesus responded very differently.

The Bible says He rebuked His disciples. Why? Because, as His followers, they were to think and act differently. Personal rejection was never a reason to seek revenge.

In the end, Jesus simply led them on to another village.

As we walk through Jesus' ministry, we discover that this was not an isolated incident. He was remarkably consistent in the way He responded to personal attacks.

Whether it was insults, rejection, constant criticism, betrayal, mockery, false accusations, the slaps on the way to an unjust crucifixion, or even the taunts of the criminals hanging beside Him, Jesus never defended Himself, reacted as people expected, or responded as many of us probably would have done. One writer describes this as an "inner quietness."

We see this same inner quietness again in the Garden of Gethsemane. As the soldiers came to arrest Jesus after Judas had betrayed Him, Peter, overcome with anger, drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, Malchus.

Again, Jesus' response was different. He rebuked Peter, then healed the servant by restoring his ear.

On another occasion, when an angry crowd brought before Him a woman caught in adultery, Jesus again remained calm. While everyone demanded judgment, He quietly wrote on the ground before saying,

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

When questioned by Pilate and Herod, He remained composed. In fact, His silence puzzled Pilate. Even while dying on the cross, after enduring insults, mockery, beatings, and unimaginable suffering, His prayer was still,

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

These accounts reveal a remarkable pattern.

Jesus consistently chose peace when He Himself was the one being insulted, misunderstood, rejected, or mistreated.

Did He always respond this way?

The Bible shows us that the answer is no.

There were times when He did not simply walk away.

There were times He confronted.

There were times He spoke with astonishing boldness.

At the temple, we are introduced to another side of Jesus. He drove out those buying and selling, overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and cleared His Father's house.

This was not uncontrolled anger or a loss of peace. It was purposeful action. His response was not driven by personal offence but by zeal for His Father's house and a refusal to allow what was holy to be treated with contempt.

Neither was He afraid to rebuke the religious leaders of His day. He called them

hypocrites, vipers, blind guides, and even referred to Herod as "that fox." He condemned their hypocrisy, their exploitation of widows, their hard-heartedness, and the heavy religious burdens they placed on others while refusing to carry them themselves.

One insightful comment about the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, captures what so angered Jesus:

"So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden."

— Matthew 23:3–4

Matthew 23 is one of the most revealing chapters in the Gospels if we want to understand what stirred Jesus to speak so forcefully.

But wait...

Did you notice the difference in the focus of Jesus' reactions between the times He remained calm and the times He confronted people?

When His own reputation, comfort, and personal feelings were attacked, He chose peace.

He kept His focus on what was bigger than His own feelings. In today's language, His response could almost be summed up this way:

"Your opinion of Me does not change who I am or what My Father has sent Me to do."

When, however, God's honour was being dishonoured, when truth was being distorted, when the vulnerable were being oppressed, or when people were being kept from God, Jesus stood and spoke.

Perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons He teaches us about peace—not simply how to remain peaceful, but how to discern when to engage and when to walk away.

What does this mean for us?

How can we maintain our inner peace when we are under pressure to react?

Jesus gives us our first insight from His response to the rejection at the Samaritan village:

"But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

— Luke 9:55–56 (KJV)

Jesus reminds us that we are representatives of God wherever we go. Our reactions should reflect the One we represent. We are not to behave as the world does when our ego is bruised or our pride is wounded.

What about our reaction to criticism—something Jesus faced incessantly?

Again, we learn to discern which battles are worth engaging and which are simply annoyances that threaten our inner peace.

Jesus' final words from the cross are revealing:

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Perhaps one reason He could forgive so freely was that He recognised that many of His critics simply did not understand who He was or what He had come to do.

The same can sometimes be true for us. Some criticism comes from people who simply do not have the full picture. Before allowing criticism to rob us of our peace, it is worth asking whether the person speaking really understands the situation.

A friend once told me about a meeting with one of his children's school principals. In a kind but critical way, the principal questioned some of their parenting decisions. My friend listened patiently before asking two simple questions.

"Do you have children?"

"No."

"Have you ever raised any?"

Again, the answer was no.

My friend respectfully replied, "Then you are not really in a position to tell me how to parent mine."

He wasn't being rude. He simply recognized that the criticism was coming from someone who had never experienced the daily realities of raising children. That realization gave him the confidence to let the criticism go instead of carrying it around with him.

Not every opinion deserves equal weight. Holding on to every criticism and reacting to every comment can rob us of our peace and drag us into unnecessary conflict.

What about silence?

Are there times when keeping quiet is actually the wisest response?

Jesus' reactions were sometimes puzzling. Before Herod and Pilate, He often chose silence rather than defending Himself. Pilate himself marvelled that Jesus would not answer.

Perhaps Jesus already knew there was no point in defending Himself. Speaking would not change His path or alter the mission His Father had given Him.

Choosing silence instead of fighting back can sometimes be the wisest response when engaging will neither change the outcome nor make any meaningful difference. Yes, our feelings may be hurt, but if nothing of lasting value will be gained, perhaps the wiser choice is simply to walk away. Many of our everyday arguments—with a cashier, a receptionist, a neighbour, or even a stranger—often fall into this category.

But from Jesus' example, when are we called to rise?

When must we not remain silent?

When should we, so to speak, "turn over the tables"?

If we follow His example, the answer seems remarkably clear.

When God's work is at stake.

When our family's peace and well-being are under attack.

When His children—young or old—are facing injustice or harm because of their vulnerability.

When truth is being distorted.

When hypocrisy keeps people from God.

Jesus spoke against injustice toward the poor. He challenged religious leaders who imposed burdens they would not carry themselves. He reminded them that "the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." He defended the woman caught in adultery. He exposed hypocrisy wherever He found it.

Following Jesus means learning not only how to keep our peace but also when to courageously stand for what matters to God.

The challenge, then, is not simply to ask,

"Should I react?"

It is to ask,

"Am I defending myself, or am I standing for something that matters to God?"

Today's Reflection

As you go about your day, think about the conflicts you are presently facing.

• Am I reacting because my pride has been wounded, or because something that matters to God is at stake?

  
  

• Is this a battle worth engaging, or would I be wiser to move on to "another village"?

  
  

• Is the criticism I am holding on to coming from someone who truly understands my situation?

  
  

• Is this one of those moments to remain silent, or one of those moments to "turn over the tables" with courage and grace?

  
  

Ask the Lord for the wisdom to know the difference.

May the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

(2 Thessalonians 3:16)