Boundary 2: Keep the Peace

We’ve all been there, so angry you see red and it feels like you’ve swallowed fire. Anger is difficult to control when you don’t know what your limits are. The more we work on walking in love the easier anger management becomes. When we learn to immediately forgive, we can begin to take power over our emotions.

So when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that he was making more disciples than John, and was baptizing them ² (Jesus himself didn’t baptize people; it was his disciples who were doing it), ³ he left Judaea and went back to Galilee. John 4: 1-3

Jesus did everything possible, to keep the peace. When he began to gain notoriety because of his teaching, he knew the Pharisees would be determined to cause trouble for him. Rather than wait for the Pharisees to confront him he left the area.

The Pharisees were teachers of the law, rather than bring people to God they drove them away through condemnation and being self-righteous. Almost everything the Pharisees did was derived from a puffed-up ego. Jesus in his wisdom would have easily humbled them.

Jesus went to great lengths to avoid offense in order to continue being effective even after he was arrested.

And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. Mark 15: 18-20

Imagine being the Son of God and not abusing your power in a moment like this. Jesus was both human and God and controlled thousands of angels. One angel could easily slay almost 200,000 people alone (see 2Kings 19:35) Jesus held thousands of angels at bay with his word!

Jesus had to conquer death in our place because none of us would have been able to avoid sinning while suffering what Jesus did in Mark 15. Jesus knew a key fact, we cannot be disruptive to God’s plan and effectively walk in God’s will at the same time. We have to choose one. If Jesus would have acted out of anger he never would have made it to the cross.

When we take the opportunity to offend someone or get revenge, we are essentially trading our availability to God so we can satisfy our flesh. God gave us dominion on earth, he is looking for those who are available to him!

What can you do to keep the peace and make yourself more available to God?