Be on the Side of Jesus Christ

Freedom, Conflict, and Choice

　　For the past six months, I’ve been discussing the topic of “freedom” with brothers and sisters in the church. It’s a subject I love, and it was also the theme of my doctoral dissertation. The concept of “freedom” mentioned in the Bible differs from the one that the world pursues. Biblical freedom is meant to free people from situations that drain their lives and ultimately allow them to know, love, worship, and enjoy God forever (freedom for God) and benefit others (freedom for others).

　　The paradox is that a person who enjoys freedom inevitably faces interpersonal conflicts. Joshua 5:13-15 offers us some insight into such situations of conflict. The text recounts that before the battle of Jericho, Joshua encountered a man with a drawn sword. Joshua asked if the man was on his side or the enemy’s. The man replied, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come. … Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy” (vv. 14-15). In essence, he was saying: “I am not on your side nor on your enemy’s! I stand on God’s side. The place where you are standing is holy ground.” In the face of conflicts, we cannot demand that God take any side; rather, we must courageously stand on God’s side, follow Him, and find freedom in Him, creating peace through that freedom.

A Three-Act Play: Stories of Conflicts

　　Luke 9:46-56 is also a story about interpersonal conflicts and can be applied to church contexts. This text can be read as a three-act play. In the first act, we see the disciples gathering together, arguing about who among them is the greatest, disputing over status. Is this surprising? Shouldn’t they, as spiritual leaders, be gentle and humble? Perhaps it’s not so hard to understand. One possible cause is the ego or too much narcissism. People, whether they are Jesus’ disciples or us, tend to love being regarded as great. When several self-important individuals share a room or sit at a meeting, conflict and evil are likely to arise.

　　Seeing human nature as such, Jesus would surely shake His head and remind us that ministry isn’t about inflating oneself or making people proud, but about humility. The disciples were doing work that the world did not value. If what you desire is a huge crowd cheering you on when you speak, thousands of followers, and being idolized by brothers and sisters, then following Jesus Christ shouldn’t be your choice. In this world, the most disrespected people may very well be those who obey God’s word and follow Jesus’ example. Jesus brought a child close to Him and said, “For he who is least among you all is the one who is great” (v. 48), overturning traditional notions of status.

Power and Factions

　　In the second act, John responded immediately. He seemed worried about Jesus’ standards for leadership and wanted to know what were the clear boundaries for ministry. So he said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us” (v. 49). What John meant was that this outsider, who did not belong to their disciple community, had no right to cast out demons in Jesus’ name, but this man was doing their work—freeing people. Shouldn’t the ministry have boundaries?

　　Here, we see inner conflict in individuals and conflict between people. We all want to do good and seek justice, yet in the process, we often find ourselves fighting amongst ourselves and with those who are different from us; we may even become unjust. Why? This might stem from prideful desires of the heart—desires for status, power, and fame. Some people believe that the root cause of conflict is a power struggle. In this example, the disciples wanted to wield power and manipulate others.

　　Another reason could be the tendency to form factions. We often like to “form cliques,” and even if those outside our group are fighting evil, we are not happy for them, nor do we celebrate their good deeds. We may even bully, criticize, or slander those who don’t share our stance.

　　Seeing this human reality, Jesus told John (and us by extension), “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you” (v. 50). This is God’s work. His holy work is greater than the disciples. Where God is working, we should not resist but be grateful.

Saving vs. Destroying Lives

　　In the third act, Jesus “set his face” toward Jerusalem. Even in the face of pressure from the crowds, He did not deviate from the path God had set for Him. Jerusalem was His destination, where He was going to be crucified, die, rise, and ascend, completing the plan of salvation.

　　Jesus sent His disciples ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for His arrival. However, the people there rejected them and didn’t welcome Jesus. This angered the disciples, especially James and John. They asked Jesus if they should call fire down from heaven to burn them up. Jesus turned and rebuked them, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people’s lives but to save them” (vv. 55-56, ESV footnote).

　　Jesus didn’t explicitly state why He rebuked them, but from the context, we can infer a reason why. The disciples were probably blinded by the desire for power and by their partisanship. They saw only the rejection by the Samaritans, not the immediate challenge, the true enemy, or the purpose of Jesus going to Jerusalem: “not to destroy people’s lives but to save them.”

Today’s Conflict Stories

　　Now, let’s reflect on today’s stories of conflict. In general, we should avoid conflict, but I don’t think we should avoid it at all costs. After all, even in the early church, the apostles Peter and Paul had to handle chaotic situations. Like other people in the world, followers of Jesus sometimes find themselves in conflict with one another, but the difference lies in the fact that they handle it in a unique way—by facing it with faith in Jesus Christ. We must reflect upon our own faith and life situations. Are our conflicts driven by pride, a love for power, or partisan bias?

　　I’ve seen Christian communities become notorious for their internal struggles, even leading to division and causing people to question their faith. Where did we learn such despicable infighting? Perhaps some Christians have adopted methods of handling conflicts from the power struggles of certain politicians, believing they must win at all costs, even resorting to underhanded tactics. They abandon virtue, seeing it as a sign of weakness. They forsake Jesus Christ’s teaching example, considering His approach weak and out of touch. Instead, they seek more powerful and effective tools to achieve their goals.

　　Ironically, this is a path leading to failure. Clearly, relying solely on fierce battles and clever tactics isn’t truly effective. In fact, following Christ’s way of goodness/virtue is the most effective way to resolve conflict and bring about lasting change.

Be on the Side of Jesus Christ

　　What is Christ’s way of goodness?

　　Matthew Chapter 5 reveals Jesus’ stance. We must choose His stance and be on His side. This stance is closely tied to the eight beatitudes that He mentioned (vv. 3-11). The beatitudes cover eight kinds of virtues and blessings (poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger and thirst for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, and being persecuted for righteousness). At the end of the chapter (vv. 38-48), Jesus challenges His followers to love their enemies and avoid retaliation, for retaliation only multiplies hatred. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can. Hatred cannot drive out hatred; only love can.

Meekness and Humility

　　When we are on the side of Jesus Christ, how are we going to face conflicts? We can act according to insights from the Bible. I’ve drawn three key topics from the Beatitudes: humility, love, and righteousness.

　　First, let’s talk about meekness. The meek are those who are humble. In difficult situations, they seek God and rely on Him and are gentle toward others. Even when they are mistreated or looked down upon by the proud, they don’t get angry. “Meekness” is not about bowing to reality, but about recognizing one’s own limitations and circumstances. Meek people do not blame others or resent the heavens; nor do they lament endlessly. Instead, they view their plight as a stage for demonstrating their faithfulness to God. They pray for grace and wisdom for their ongoing growth in the challenges, trusting in God’s faithfulness and righteousness. Therefore, meekness is an expression of faith in God, a trusting action, and a sign of maturity in life.

　　In addition, the meek do not control the lives of others, for that is God’s work. They do not seek to be the masters of the world, nor do they insist on becoming the centre of their family, church, or society, because they clearly understand their own role, honestly recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses. They know that all their strength comes from God and understand that God does not need us but graciously chooses to use us.

　　The meek are willing to humbly accept others’ views. They work hard to understand others’ arguments and are cautious when offering criticism, knowing that everyone has flaws. Therefore, they must remain humble in the pursuit of goodness, following Christ’s example of humility. Meek people are also pure-hearted and sincere. They do their utmost to understand the facts and engage in dialogue with their opponents on the relevant issues, working to establish a common ground and resolve conflicts based on truth. As Jesus said, the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32).

　　Whatever the circumstances, the meek trust in God and respond to issues concerned in the way Jesus Christ taught, with goodness.

Love and Righteousness

　　Next, let’s talk about love and righteousness. Love is expressed in “mourning” and “mercy.” In the face of conflicts, we tend to see only the shortcomings of our opponents and are quick to point out their faults. However, those filled with love look to God for help, trying to find the strengths of the opponents and understand their perspectives with empathy. They strive to foster mutual understanding, resolve conflict, and create peace.

　　Love is also closely related to righteousness and integrity. This reminds me of a couple who deceived both themselves and God. Acts 5:1-11 records that Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and gave the money to the church but lied to Peter, claiming it was the full amount when they had kept some for themselves. Peter reproached them both for not only lying to people but also to God. Upon hearing Peter’s words, they both collapsed and died.

　　For modern people, Peter’s confrontation with this couple might seem “untactful.” The “tactful” approach would be to reduce conflict and minimize issues. To be “tactful” would be to soothe and help ease the discomfort of the Ananias and Sapphiras in the church. “Being tactful” means being considerate of others’ feelings. Such a “considerate” pastoral approach results from the application of modern psychology, seeing the couple as no different from anyone else, with human flaws like dishonesty, greed, and theft, which even Christians are prone to. However, Peter’s approach of confronting them with the mirror of truth forced them to face God honestly, to be truthful to others, and to be honest with themselves.

　　In reality, Peter’s approach demonstrates true pastoral care, for true pastoral care includes addressing sin. If sin exists, there will be no life in the individual or the church. Honest confrontation is love—it is meant to lead people to an acknowledgment of sin, repentance, and salvation.

　　A theologian once told a story: There was a young boy who insisted on sitting in a place where snakes often appeared. Two adults knew about this but had different reactions. One said, “You can’t let the boy sit there. If he doesn’t listen, sternly teach him, forcibly pull him away, or even beat him—whatever it takes to get him out of that dangerous place.” The other said, “No, leave him be! Don’t beat him; don’t harm him!” In the end, the boy continued sitting there and eventually died from a snake bite. Who truly had compassion? The person who rebuked the boy truly cared, having his well-being as the priority. Truly loving confrontation brings about true repentance and salvation. This is also the practice of “hungering and thirsting for righteousness.” “Righteousness” refers to the correct conduct in God’s eyes.

　　May we learn from the Lord to cultivate the virtues of meekness, love, and righteousness. Whether today or in the future, as we face various conflicts, may we always be on the side of Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit guard our hearts, increase our wisdom, and keep us filled with faith and hope as we persist in doing good. May we never repay evil with evil, but respect everyone, helping the weak and the suffering. Amen.

^* This article is adapted from the writer’s speech delivered at our Opening Convocation Ceremony on August 27, 2024. All Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV.

Nov 2024