Accusations and Response

In reference to Mark 1:21-28

Have you ever been falsely accused? Truly, falsely accused? Misunderstood?

Did the accusation come from someone in your church? Were your motives questioned? Did someone claim you did or said something you did not? Were your actions or words misconstrued or misread? How did you respond or react? What did you do or give up doing as a result of their cutting words? What did those around you do about it?

I think if we take a long, hard look at what was going on in Mark 1:21-28, we can learn a lot about how to handle opposition within the walls of our churches. As I read this passage of scripture, the words of the demon-possessed man to Jesus didn't jump off the page at me; but Jesus' reaction to the situation certainly caught my attention. Jesus was already walking on thin ice by teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath and doing it in a style that was bold and authoritative. He wasn't huddled over in a corner with a few friends and a guitar, singing worship choruses; nor was he hoping to not ruffle any feathers! He was standing out in the open, doing a bang-up job of preaching the gospel, uninvited and unannounced. If that wasn't enough, Jesus was interrupted mid-sentence by a demon-possessed man, who shouted a bunch of distracting, mind-bending accusations disguised as questions.

At first glance, the man's words sound like glowing flattery, calling Jesus, "The Holy One of God." Given the day, location and source, these words were anything but flattery to our Lord. It seems to me almost an interrogation, crafted to accomplish nothing less than His extermination. The demon not only questioned Jesus' authority for being in the synagogue in the first place, but also His motives for being 'up in front' of everyone. What a perfect wrench in the-works! Well, almost perfect.

Let's take a quick moment and look at the demon's motives. He knew he was looking at God in the flesh; but why would he open his big fat mouth about it? Was it his desire to shine a positive light on Jesus? We know that's not true. Was he just plain stupid or ignorant? I don't think so. If you think back to the story of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, he wasn't exactly stupid. I think it was just his usual M.O.- take a sliver of truth, throw it into the ring and watch everyone pounce and gnaw on it.

In other words, he tattled on Jesus.

Do you remember the last time you tattled on someone? You may have told the truth about them. But why did you do it? It's easy to spot this behavior in a four-year-old who tattles on another child for pushing him down, only after pushing the other child down first. The child feels important and lifted up by pointing the finger at someone else for the "sin" he first committed. In adults, tattling is much harder to spot and, unfortunately in the church, nearly impossible to pin down. I can't remember the last time I tattled- but it may have been yesterday. If so, "God, tenderize my heart to this."

Let's get back to Jesus.

If Jesus was unsure of His calling, His role or who He was in the Father, He could have made the grave mistake of taking this confrontation personally; and, if Jesus had been teaching for HIS ego's sake, this attack would have pushed a button inside Jesus, prompting Him to defend His position as the Star of the Show. In other words, if Jesus had chomped down on the hook, the man would have set it, tugged hard on the line and reeled Him in.

But Jesus didn't.

Jesus did not, for one second, think about Himself or question Himself. He called the demon out and revealed who it was. Jesus told the unclean spirit to shut up and slapped it on the wrist so hard that the man who'd been its "host" was thrown to the floor, flopping around like a wet fish! I can picture Jesus dusting off the front of His robe, picking His notes up off the floor and finishing His teaching. Again, this was only possible because Jesus had neither ego nor human insecurities leading Him that day.

It is said that one of our greatest human needs is to be understood. It is rooted in our need for approval. When we feel understood, we feel validated. We feel "righteous." But-- wait a minute! Doesn't Isaiah 64:6 tell us our righteousness is as filthy rags? We read it but most of us don't really agree with it. So- we don't live it. Our need to be loved and look good is so strong that when we hear something negative about ourselves, especially from another Christian, our insecurities begin calling the shots. Ego and self-righteousness step up and tell us to grab hold of the hook and pull. If there's even the tiniest bit of truth in the rumor, we really go nuts inside and run down the rabbit-trail of shame and self-defense. In that one moment, our work, our joy, and our fellowship in the Lord is instantly derailed for a time or even forever. We puff out our chests or worse-hang down our heads, lick our wounds and tiptoe off into the shadows.

Thank God, Jesus didn't react this way in Mark 1:21-28.

Let's remember that in John 14:12 Jesus promises us that we will do greater works than even He did. If Jesus held it together in the interrogation room, so can we.

I think taking rumors on the chin is one of purest forms of selflessness and stops the enemy dead in his tracks. The Holy Spirit wants to give us the same self-control we admire in Jesus in the book of Mark. We'll surprise ourselves when we step back, set our fears and egos aside and face our accusers with words that quickly straighten out the situation. We can then get back to work for the Kingdom's sake and the world will not be able to accuse us of judging each other or shooting down our own.

Michele Pillar is an award winning singer/songwriter and author. She recently co-wrote the music for The Magdalene Project, a musical inspired by the life of Mary Magdalene. For more information on Michele Pillar, visit michelepillar.com, fruitionartistagency.com and themagdaleneproject.com.