Let Them Alone: When Conflict Cannot Be Fixed

It's so interesting to see how Jesus handled conflict. He didn't shy away from it. He simply said it like it was – clearly and forthright.

“Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.  But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you; 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." (Matthew 15:2-9)

Then the disciples came and said to Him,

"Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” (Matthew 15:12) 

Jesus answered His disciples:

"Let them alone, they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14)

What, no running back to the Pharisees to make them understand? Wasn’t it pertinent to change their minds? 

Nope. Jesus knew that the Pharisees hearts were made up and He was focused on simply telling the truth. Jesus allowed people the freedom to choose Him or not - even if that meant walking out painful consequences. He understood that it was better to suffer for doing good, rather than suffering in vain. He trusted that His Father would uproot any plant that He did not sow and He knew there would be many.

Christ was prepared to complete His mission - to carry His cross all the way to Golgatha, for all those who would believe Him.

As I read this passage, I thought about the times I’ve gotten sidetracked from my mission by fretting over people who have chosen to misunderstand me by leaning on their own perspective.  Isn’t that what the Pharisees did with Jesus? 

All I can ever do when facing this kind of conflict is to check my own heart motive by evaluating myself for sin and surrendering to Christ. If I must suffer in a conflict, I should always do so, by participating in His plan – by being honest and forthright, by trusting God and observing healthy boundaries. I must understand that not all conflicts can be fixed. Sometimes, we must choose to be okay when the world is messy.

Grateful for grace,

This article on the cultural implications of turning the other cheek and walking the extra mile is very interesting, and pertinent to the example I've written about today. 

Please understand that this is a personal blog, and this little note about conflict  is not intended to be comprehensive in nature. For further understanding about boundaries and conflict, I recommend the following resources: 

Affiliate links below: