The Prison Of Accusations And How To Break Free

No one likes being bullied.

Not even Jesus.

Bullies seek to control people, holding them captive one way or another. Some bullies use physical means to get their way, while others use emotions.

The shocking reality is that bullies aren’t exclusively enemies, they can be family and friends.

There are many aspects of Jesus that command my attention, but freeing captive people strikes a cord  in my heart. There is something about helping the helpless that embodies a “hero” and if anyone is a hero, it is Jesus!

As I read Mark 3:1-6, I come to a favorite passage that shows the heroic nature of Jesus Christ. Not only does He free a man from a disability, He confronts bullies in the process.

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Jesus sees the obvious need of a man with a physical deformity and He takes the opportunity to heal him. The religious leaders, those who should have recognized Jesus as the prophesied Messiah and joyfully embraced Him, took exception with Him instead. They were threatened by His authority and the possibility of being exposed for who they were- religious opportunists.

They loved all the amenities that being religious leaders afforded them- money, position, and authority. They sought to jealously guard their lifestyles as much as necessary, even going to the length  of plotting how they might kill Jesus in order to protect what they valued most.

Their chosen weapon in seeking to control Jesus? Accusations.  Numerous times in Scripture they accused the Lord ( Matthew 9:34, 12:24) of being demon possessed as a way of explaining His miracles and even blasphemy in every gospel account!

Jesus knew the evil intent of their hearts, both to take advantage of the Jewish people’s trust for leadership in their faith and seeking to interfere with the miracles Jesus was inclined to offer those in greatest need. They thought it more important that people were not healed on the Sabbath, compared to the relief from a life-altering disability that Jesus offered the man.

They sought to control Jesus so they looked for reasons to accuse Him.

Do you have someone in your life like that? Someone who should be “for” you but instead you feel they are “against” you? A person who looks for faults to bring to your attention, making accusations against you?

Accusations have a two-fold effect. First they administer a “blow” or “wound”. They inflict pain in the process. They usually come without warning, leaving the recipient at a disadvantage. Secondly, they leave the victim with the need to defend himself against the charge of error.

What makes accusations so destructive is that they don’t have to be rooted in truth to be effective. They wield damage just at being slung at someone. And that is the point with the religious leaders. If they were such experts in God’s law, they should have recognized Jesus as Messiah and embraced Him. Instead, they chose to ignore the good, the Truth, and embrace what they valued more, their perceived fault of Jesus.

Accusations embody the irony of captivity. Those who look for reasons to accuse seek to control their victims emotionally, by putting them on the defense as they try to manipulate people with anger, jealousy, greed, or hurt feelings. But in reality, the people who look for reasons to accuse others are the ones in captivity to those very same feelings! The damage they do to themselves over time is much worse than what others could ever do to them.

The degree of distorted viewpoints is exasperated as bitterness and anger set in and lead the Pharisees to plot murder, which is far worse than what they accused Jesus of in the first place! There is no end to where unjustified accusations against others can take us.

My favorite part of this passage is when Jesus, knowing their intentions to catch him at fault, boldly defied their bullying ways and told the man to “stand up in front of everyone”.

Wow!! What courage?! What conviction to do what is right no matter the personal cost?!

Wouldn’t it have been tempting to just placate them? Avoid all the trouble? Cower to their intimidation?

Isn’t that the reality of it?

Accusations confine people through intimidation, holding people hostage through emotions.

Those who should have supported Jesus the most, the religious leaders, were instead looking for ways to accuse Him. But He, in that miraculous moment, not only offers freedom for the disabled man, but for those held captive to the accusations of others as well.

Christ examples for us how to handle the intimidation we feel from others using accusations like weapons.

1. He recognized how others were trying to control Him.
2. He endeavored to do right in all situations, regardless of the intent or provocation of others.
3. He determined not to engage needlessly in pettiness instigated by misguided people.
4. He was willing to pay a personal price for the sake of others, yet not willing to condone being controlled through the threat of others being “upset” with Him.
5. He was bold enough to confront the falsehood as He calmly sought unity through truth.
6. He did not let it define Him as He interacted with unreasonable people. 
7. He could live with not meeting the expectations of others, as long as He met His Father’s.

I love How Jesus displayed the difference between personal responsibility and over-responsibility. He was moved to do good where He could, in the healing of the disabled man, yet not obligated to persuade others of His just and right intentions. The Lord did not make it His goal to convince others He was in the right. He simply tried to explain, and then left it alone.

Jesus was willing to be condemned and misunderstood without letting it control Him. And in the end, so should we.

That is true freedom!!