When I hear stories about young people who have been bullied, I notice there are always at least two levels of hurt. The first and most obvious comes from the mean-spirited nature of those actually doing the bullying. That’s terrible on its own. But there’s another, deeper hurt that may end up being even more damaging than the first: The silence of everyone else.
It hurts the one being bullied because they’re stunned that no one will help. That often makes bullies more brazen, leading them to intensify their meanness. Worse, it heightens the embarrassment, false shame, and loneliness of the victim. So it is imperative to speak up for others and speak out against the behavior (see Prov. 31:8a).
Jesus knows precisely what it feels like to be bullied and to be left to suffer completely alone. Without cause, He was arrested, beaten, and mocked (Luke 22:63-65). Matthew 26:56 says that “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” Peter, one of His closest friends, even denied three times that he knew Him (Luke 22:61). While others may not understand fully, Jesus does.
When we see others being hurt, we can ask Him for the courage to speak up.
Insight:
Luke’s inspired account of the life of Jesus reflects Luke’s profession as a physician. He alone is the only gospel writer who records that while Jesus was praying on the night before He was arrested “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (v. 44 niv). This unusual detail underscores the amazing demonstration of love seen in Christ’s suffering for us. Additionally, only Luke records that Jesus healed the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest who had been attacked by Peter (vv. 50-51). Both of these details reflect the knowledge of a medical person.
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