Does Taking Hits Equal Powerlessness?

ALL – Psalm 53:1-6
ALL – Proverbs 11:4
OT – Numbers 14:1-15:16
NT – Mark 14:53-72

As men, we don’t like to be accused of being wimps. We’d rather get into a losing battle and show that we’re tough enough to fight than not put up a fight at all. People seem to think that if they can walk all over a man, he’s weak, but that if he puts up a fight he’s a man.

What about Jesus?

Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and began to hammer his face with their fists. “Who hit you that time, you prophet?” they jeered. And even the bailiffs were using their fists on him as they led him away. – Mark 14:65, The Living Bible

He was on trial for claiming to be the Christ, the King of all Creation, the Son of God. Obviously, His accusers didn’t believe His claim. But notice what they do to try to reassure themselves that Jesus is just some helpless, weak moron making foolish claims. They beat on Him. They spit at Him. And since Jesus doesn’t fight back, they think they’ve proved that He’s powerless.

Of course, the truth is that Jesus is the all-powerful God, so powerful that everything in all creation came into being just by His command. Apparently, taking hits without responding does not equal being powerless.

And Christians are His people. We are called to follow Him, even in this area of allowing ourselves to be abused at times. Don’t worry, Christian men. Letting yourselves be walked over won’t mean that you’re a wimp. You’ve got all the power in the world backing you. In fact, it’s the power of Jesus Christ and His gospel that enables us to put up with being abused.

So how powerful are you? Can you take a hit without dishing one out?

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