bully – Be Still…

Mark 15:16-20 – Mocking Jesus

Read Mark 15:16-20

Don’t you just want to yell, “Stop! Enough already!” It breaks my heart to see how our King Jesus was treated in his final hours. These soldiers had no idea who they were mocking. How do you think it made Jesus feel to be taunted and paraded around in a purple robe with a crown of thorns? This is just one of the times Jesus will be mocked before he dies.

Jesus loved us that much. He endured so much for you and me. We see people in our day being bullied for one thing or another. As a child, I was called “fatty” or “four eyes.” I know how much that hurt. Today’s taunts are much more hurtful, and childhood suicide is on the rise.

Zechariah 1:18-21 – God’s Revenge

Read Zechariah 1:18-21

Horns, blacksmiths, and colorful horses! “Are we in the book of Revelation?” is the question that came to me as I read this passage. I understand Zechariah does have some apocalyptic sections. Clearly the visions God gave Zechariah are a bit different from how other prophets received their messages. I appreciate Zechariah for giving us a detailed account of what he saw and what the angel explained to him. We don’t have to guess!

If you’ve ever been bullied, then you know the feeling of relief when your perpetrator has been exposed and punished. The Israelite nation had been abused by “bullying” nations for years. This part of the vision was meant to give them the peace of mind that their “bullies” would be taken care of. Whatever residual fears they had could be cleansed away.

2 Samuel 19:41-20:2 – There’s One In Every Crowd!

Read 2 Samuel 19:41-20:2

How fickle the men of Israel were in this passage! One minute they’re having a discussion with the men of Judah about fairness. The men of Israel were feeling like they had been left out or minimalized, and then abruptly turned in the opposite direction, against David.

There’s a _____ in every crowd. You fill in the blank! In this account, it turns out to be a troublemaker. Every good story has a villain. Even fairy tales often have a frightening side. Today our troublemaker is Sheba.

1 Samuel 1:1-8 – Bullying is Never a Good Thing!

Read 1 Samuel 1:1-8

Drawing of 2 boys bullying a girl, one is pulling her pigtails

God’s story of love and redemption continues in the books of Samuel. We will see that these books reveal the transition between the tribal weaknesses of idolatry and sin to seeing kings raised up with a different focus and shift in culture. There are growing pains with any transition in life.

According to the Commentary on the Old Testament by Keil & Delitzsch, our passage today was likely taking place at roughly the same time as Samson was leading the Israelites in the Book of Judges. You will recall how the concluding chapters in Judges often mentioned Israel had no king. We’ll see how God responds to this need and their extreme desire to have a king.

Proverbs 18:14-24 – Know Your Enemies

Read Proverbs 18:14-24

You’ve probably heard the saying, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” a line from the movie, Godfather II. It can be wise advice because you never know when your “friend” might actually be your enemy. Verse 24 would seem to hint at this as it says, “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” Have you ever been betrayed by a “friend?”

We hear almost daily of bullying accounts of one kind or another. Just the other day a dear friend of mine who has some “special needs” told me how someone she’s known for a while has started to call her “stupid.” How hurtful. What sort of motivation would lead a “friend” to call another friend stupid? We are meant to build each other up, not tear each other down. These were grown-ups!