Are there bullies in the bible

Unlike his ancestor-in-faith Elisha, Jesus does not appear to advocate direct confrontation with bullies and taunters. Rather, Jesus models compassionate solidarity coupled with loving outreach that acts as a shield around the vulnerable one.

Take, for instance, the story of blind Bartimaeus in Mark Here comes the stinker! Taunting also serves as a significant factor in the parable of the Prodigal Son Luke A Middle Eastern audience would be appalled by a son who asks for his share of the family estate while his father is still living. No such custom existed. Bailey puts it forcefully.

Everyone would want to be seen as sending a clear message: what this greedy fool did will not be tolerated, and, God forbid, no others should ever dare make such a demand of their fathers. The village boys of course would relish the chance to follow the disgraced man about, jeering him mercilessly. Taunt songs, name-calling and pelting with footwear as suggested in Psalm would have been the welcome the shamed man could look forward to. As the prodigal approached his home village by the road leading in from the countryside, word of his return would quickly spread through the gossip network, aided by the close, open-windowed houses.

Scornful villagers, many of whom might be cousins or relatives, would begin gathering to make their displeasure known, as the boys sail out to commence the taunting. The sight of the returning prodigal son, however, compels his father to make a gesture that was as radical—and self-sacrificial—as it was unexpected.

The father does something a Middle Eastern man never does—he runs! No respectable Palestinian patriarch runs anywhere, the exception for an emergency.

To run signifies a loss of control. To run requires a man to collect his thawb, the traditional tunic-like garment, in his hands, thus exposing the ankles—a dishonorable and buffoonish posture.

The comedy of the stumbling old man would have been enough to distract the attention of the village boys away from the dishonorable son. The harriers would now turn to the father, chasing after him and laughing at the spectacle he has become. Jesus did not allow his bullies to deter his mission to serve others and to spread the gospel message.

He as smart and strategic, but he did not give up. Keep preserving despite the bullies in your life. Yet, we know that three days later — Jesus triumphed over the grave. In the end, God wins. If you have been bullied, Jesus knows what you are going through. He knows the loneliness.

He knows the pain. As Christians, we have a responsibility to stand up for the weak and the oppressed. When we see others being bullied , we need to stand up for them and get them help. When we are being bullied, we have a responsibility to serve others by standing up to the bully too.

We stand up to bullying not only for our own sake but for others who are also being bullied. We also stand up to bullying for the bully him or herself — so that they can get the help that they need. Parents, we know that Daniel and Esther were bullied because of ant-Semitism.

Conversations about bullying because of race and ethnicity can be awkward, but we need to have them. In the dark shadow of the Holocaust, we know how quickly hate can grow. May our children be the guardians on the wall who keep watch and stand up against bullying and hate. The voice behind FaithfulMotherhood. She is a veteran homeschool mom of three. Her passion is equipping parents to live out their calling as the number one faith influencer for their children. Sharing is caring!

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you! How does Esther deal with her bully? Queen Esther is brilliant. What is a better response? And, for a third example, how should you respond when you are in a group and a new student is nearby What if you see someone shoplift and he or she threatens you if you tell? Now you may want to introduce the David and Goliath story from I Samuel What method did the Philistines use?

What would have been the conventional response? What was David's response? How did he arm himself? Why wasn't he bullied by Goliath? How does this relate to a playground bully? And so your discussion should lead to better responses to bullying. Think of Bible lines the children know and make each one of these a "motto of the week":. Not responding to bullying is one answer. Jesus did not physically fight back against those who were cruel to him.

In Luke 4, we learn about Jesus being disrespected in the synagogue. Read what happens next in verses Imagine having a mob about to push you off a precipice! I am the LORD. Matthew Proverbs Psalm You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.

Romans In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Luke He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.