Would Jesus bully someone?

Followers of Christ obey Jesus in everything, including how we treat others. He taught us to “love your neighbor as yourself” and to “do unto others as you would have them do to you>” (Matt. 22:39; 7:12). Would Jesus bully someone? If we do not like to be bullied, then should we bully others?

When we are bullied, we may feel rejection, loneliness, powerlessness, depression and lose self-esteem. These feelings are a result of someone’s evil toward us. We live in society and community. What one person does affects others. God created us and he loves us but others may not respect and value us as he does. God allows us to get hurt by others because he gives everyone freedom, self-will and responsibility to act for good or evil. God does not hurt us but people can and do.

Bullying began in the family of Adam and Eve when Cain, the older brother, killed his younger brother, Abel (Gen. 4). Since that time everyone who does right has been opposed by those who do wrong. The supreme example of bullying is the mob that called out “Crucify him! Crucify him!” when Jesus was on trial before Pilate, even though Pilate three times pronounced Jesus innocent of all charges.

God loves and cares for us no matter what others think about us or do to us. God does not hurt us. When people hurt us that is a time to draw nearer to God and take refuge in him. That is a time to pray for strength, for guidance, and for help to overcome evil. “Do not return evil for evil; but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17-21).

When someone insults, criticizes or ostracizes you, what are some ways you can practice what Jesus taught in Luke 6:27-28: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you”?