Jesus Was Always Picking Fights

Here’s a topic you won’t hear a lot of people talk when they refer to Jesus. But it is true! Jesus was always picking fights. Just read the accounts of His life looking for it, and you will find it was His lifestyle. Not something that just happened or that He couldn’t avoid. It was what He did consistently, along with the teaching, miracles, healings, etc. Yet even in those, He often used them to start a fight!!

Jesus even did so in His home town. First time back from His baptism, desert temptation and beginning of His public ministry, He immediately picks a fight. Seems like it would be the time to let people know that the kid they watched grow up had actually been the Son of God incognito. But, NO! He picks a fight. Look at it…

1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men. 9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:1-9 (NIV)
At first glance it appears He was picking fights with people, but really He was picking fights with wrong beliefs that led to wrong actions. Picking fights with falsehoods was actually the loving thing to do! Imagine that! God is showing me that we must be doing the same. If we do not follow Jesus’ example to reveal falsehood by our words and actions, we are, by omission, allowing lies to stand unchallenged. And that is not living lives of truth, being salt, light and fragrance of Christ. Nor is it “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), which is our mandate.

So… go pick a fight to for Jesus!

Boldly, Herb

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