How Jesus dealt with hostility and enemies

Jesus, wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove, brave as a lion. 

Outraged at those who attempted to make money off people’s faith and longing for God, he rampages through the temple, overturning the tables of the moneychangers. He heals, he teaches; he’s proclaimed as Messiah. And he incurs the wrath of his old enemies, the chief priests and elders who ask: Who gave you the authority to do such things? 

But Jesus coolly answers their hostile questions with a loaded question of his own, trapping the trappers.

So cool, so calm, so wise! We have no record of Jesus running, rushing, being stressed or lacking peace. He never speaks on his own he tells us, without checking in with the Father. So, no foolish, ill-judged statements. 

How do we develop these traits? Long before the day of testing, we must practice breathing, and tuning in to the frequency of the Father. We remember, fearlessly, that our interrogators have no power over our lives which the Father has not permitted them. That our life is in our Father’s hands. That not all questions need to be answered. For feeding pearls of wisdom to hungry pigs, would risk you, the edible, being devoured. Jesus directly answered just three of the 183 questions he was asked, refusing to answer some, answering others with a good question. 

Wisdom begins by slowing down and checking in with the Father before we speak or act. His wisdom percolates through our souls as we practice asking him for the best way to do things, organise a home, or write. And then we build upwards, asking for wisdom in ever more complex things. 

Listening for the voice of God before we speak, tapping into the Spirit, which Jesus calls streams of living water within us, will give us the wisdom to know what to say which, frequently, is nothing at all. It will quieten us with the silence of God, which sings through the world, through sun and stars, sky and flowers.

My memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India UK USA

Blog: anitamathias.com

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My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) and UK

Transcript

Hi Friends, welcome to the 25th episode of Christian Meditation with Anita Mathias. I’m glad you’re here.

Let’s sit for a few seconds, quietly breathing, our spirit, mind, emotions and body, slowing down, along with to our breath. Breathe in long and deeply; breathe out fully. And again.

The Book of Revelation, the final book of the Bible, ends on an ecstatic note:

“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Come, Lord Jesus!”

Through the day, when you feel distracted or distressed, or sense stress rising, or your breathing becoming ragged, try a breath prayer. Perhaps say Maranatha, an ancient Aramaic word from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians to yourself; Maranatha which means Come Lord Jesus. 

And so as we begin to calm down and enter our bodies, let’s say that: it’s four equally stressed syllables, one syllable with each inhale and exhale. Ma-ra-na-tha. Ma-ra-na-tha.  Come Lord Jesus.

Now, let’s visit an episode from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 21.

 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Learning from Jesus, let’s meditate on

How Jesus dealt with hostility and enemies

It’s Tuesday of the last week of Jesus’s life. He rampages 

through the commercialised temple, overturning the tables of 

moneychangers. He heals, he teaches; he’s proclaimed as the Messiah.

Who gave you the authority to do these things? his old adversaries, 

the chief priests and the elders, ask. And Jesus shows us how to 

answer hostile questions. Be careful. Breathe. Quick arrow prayers! 

Your enemies, your interrogators have no power over your life that

your Father has not permitted them. Ask your Father for wisdom, 

remembering: Questions do not need to be answered. Are these 

questioners worthy of the treasures of your heart? Or would that

be feeding pearls to hungry pigs, who might instead devour you?

Questions can contain pitfalls and traps. Jesus directly answered

just three of the 183 questions he was asked. Some questions, he

refused to answer; others, he answered with a good question. 

But how do you get the inner calm, discernment and presence

of mind to recognise and sidestep entrapping questions? Long 

before the day of testing, practice breathing, and tuning in to the

frequency of the Father. We have no record of Jesus running, 

rushing, being stressed or lacking peace. He never speaks on his

own, he tells us, but says only what the Father tells him to. So, 

no foolish, ill-judged statements. Breathing in the wisdom of the

Father beside and within him, he, unintimidated, traps the trappers.

Wisdom begins with slowing down and doing nothing without quickly

checking in with the Father so his wisdom can bubble through our souls. 

Our calm mind will then help us recognise dangerous trick questions, 

even those coated in flattery, and sidestep them, or refuse to answer. 

We learn to tune in to God’s wisdom by practising slowing

down, asking God questions, and listening for his answers about

the best way to do simple things…to organise a home, or write.

Then build upwards, asking for wisdom in more complex things.

Listening for the voice of God before we speak, tapping into

the Spirit, which Jesus calls streams of living water within us, will

give us the wisdom to know what to say which, frequently, is

nothing at all. It will quieten us with the silence of God, which 

sings through the world, through sun and stars, sky and flowers. 

Amen.

 5/390/42