Jesus was a humble, compassionate person who taught with love. His message was one of peace and hope. To those who followed Him and tried to live His teachings, He was a source of inspiration, comfort, and strength.
But being meek and gentle doesn’t mean you can’t stand up for what’s right! On multiple occasions, the Savior stood up to the insincere Pharisees and scribes who only wanted to find fault with Him. He pointed out the false teachings and hypocritical ways of these prominent, influential leaders. For example:
- Jesus called the Pharisees out because they focused on symbolic gestures instead of inner cleanliness (see Luke 11:37–41).
- Their idea of obeying the law of Moses was to meticulously follow the physical rules—things that other people could see them doing—while ignoring more important ideas like justice and loving one another (see Luke 11:42).
- Jesus said the Pharisees were like unmarked graves: you can walk over them and not even realize what corruption and decay is happening just beneath the surface (see Luke 11:44).
Did Jesus still love these people? Of course He did. But He didn’t just stand by while they spread dangerous lies about Him and His gospel. He spoke up and taught truth.
How can we respectfully but firmly stand up for gospel principles in today’s world?