When interpreting how did Jesus handle conflict, there are two seemingly opposite characterizations of Him. One is a peace-loving hippie who stopped His own disciple from defending Him before He was falsely accused, tried, and executed like a criminal. The other is the macho carpenter who overthrew tables in the synagogue. The truth is Jesus dealt with conflict perfectly according to each situation.
Looking at the first example, it’s important to understand that seeking peace for Jesus was not being a pushover and just accepting the injustice of the situation. When Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Jesus first commands His disciple to stop. In Matthew, He says, “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” He warns Peter where this path of violence will lead. But more importantly, He reminds him of their spiritual goal, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Nothing would throw Him off this goal. He also demonstrated another key concept of resolving conflict—He makes it right, healing the servant’s ear.
Why, then, does Jesus overturn the tables in the temple? Jesus saw that God’s place of worship and prayer had been turned into a marketplace, where merchants were profiting and exploiting pilgrims coming to worship at the temple. Here, Jesus displays that anger can be appropriate when it’s righteous and correctly targeted. He constructs a whip to drive away the merchants and disrupts their operations. This moment gives us another powerful example of how did Jesus handle conflict—by taking bold, righteous action when necessary.
5 Essential Ways Jesus Approached Conflict
So, how did Jesus handle conflict in a way that was both as passive as healing His aggressor and as aggressive as a non-violent protest? How can we follow His perfect example for resolving conflict with grace? Throughout Scripture, Jesus consistently approached conflict in these five ways.
Responding with Wisdom and Truth
When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with difficult “trick” questions, Jesus answered with wisdom, exposing their hypocrisy without resorting to anger. What can we learn from this? It feels like especially nowadays, we are inundated by debates from people who are not interested in listening or, at worst, make bad-faith arguments. They only want to score points for their own team. Sometimes, arguments with a loved one can even devolve into this kind of discussion. Instead of getting caught up in these debates, we should be navigating difficult conversations biblically by responding thoughtfully and sincerely, while relying on God’s wisdom.
Show Compassion Instead of Retaliation
In John 1:1-11, Jesus shows the courage to stand up to an angry mob of people who want to stone a woman who’s been caught in adultery. He reminds us that none of us are perfect and that ultimately God will judge us: “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” Don’t pile on when someone messes up and remember that all of us have sinned. Don’t you want forgiveness from others when you mess up?
Trust God’s Justice, Not Man’s Justice
It feels like every day we are confronted with some new injustice in the world. As believers, we’re called to confront it at every turn (just think of Jesus overturning the tables in the temple). But what happens if you’re unjustly accused? Do you get angry and lash out? Instead, trust God to vindicate you, just like how Jesus remained silent and unbothered during His unjust trial before Pontius Pilate.
Forgive Enemies
Maybe no instance shows Jesus’ approach to forgiveness better than when He was on the cross. He prayed for those who crucified Him, advocating on their behalf: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34). Like Jesus, we can give others the benefit of the doubt, being gracious about their intent even if they’ve wronged us and forgive them for it.
Correct with Love, Not Condemnation
Throughout the Bible, Jesus always used His disciples’ mistakes as an opportunity for their growth and for them to get closer. For example, even when His disciples foolishly argued over who was the greatest (Luke 22:24-27), He did not rebuke them but taught them what real leadership looks like. God’s kingdom would not be like those of mankind, which depended on hierarchy, but one of equality and servanthood. “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
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