What Would Jesus Do?

We asked children (ages 7-9), preteens (ages 10-12), and teenagers (ages 13-16) from around the world to write for the Review in August. The following article is one they produced. —Editors 

Bullying. We see it everywhere in our society: at school, work, social groups, online . . . and sadly, even in our churches today. At some point someone has been bullied or has witnessed bullying taking place and didn’t know how to respond to it—or they took matters into their own hands, and it didn’t end well. In the end, bullying or being bullied isn’t nice, and no one deserves to be bullied. I often wonder how to deal with this situation—how to fight back and stand up for myself . . . and others. But the main thing I really want to focus on when dealing with bullying is how Christ would do it. What would Jesus do?

There’s a story in the Bible, in John 19:1-4, in which Jesus Himself was being bullied by Roman soldiers, leading up to His death. The soldiers “twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.” While doing that, they even mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck Him with their hands.”
Reading that makes me feel horrified by what the soldiers did to Him. I’m thinking, Do the soldiers know whom they are messing with? But something that really touched me was the fact that Jesus never reacted when all these horrible things were being done to Him.

Does this mean that when we are being bullied, we should just go with the flow and do nothing?

When You’re Being Bullied

First Peter 2:22, 23 really unpacks how Jesus responded when these things were happening to Him. It says that He “ ‘committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Jesus had no sin, nor is He a liar nor deceitful. Even though He was reviled by the Roman soldiers, He didn’t revile in return. Even when He suffered at the hands of the soldiers, He never threatened them. Instead, Jesus submitted Himself to God, who judges righteously.

I often wonder how to deal with this situation—how to fight back and stand up for myself . . . and others.

Throughout this whole situation He had the power to call down lightning and strike those soldiers dead, or something like that, but He didn’t. Instead, He submitted Himself to God, and on the cross He bore the sins of those soldiers. He came to die for them because they themselves were lost in sin and didn’t know what was right or wrong—they were blind to their sins. He came for them so they also could take part in His righteousness and receive the free gift of salvation and eternal life.

How can this story be applied to us when it comes to bullying? The first thing to remember is that we are all God’s children—from the Garden of Eden, to the Romans, to the present. We all have fallen short of God’s glory and sinned, but we can thank God for Jesus, who died for our sins that we may be one with God.

The second thing is to consider how we react when dealing with bullying, and the words that come out of our mouths. A verse to consider when dealing with this situation is Proverbs 10:12: “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” When Jesus was being bullied, love was the main factor and His priority when reacting to and talking with His bullies. If His response had been out of hatred, it would have caused all sorts of chaos: heated and constant brawls, and hate for one another, which Jesus never calls us to do. He tells us instead to “love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).

Third, we must forgive and pray for those who bully us. Consider Stephen in Acts 7:54-60, when he was being stoned. He knelt down and prayed to God, saying, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (verse 60). We should pray for our bullies because they themselves are lost in sin and often don’t know that what they are doing is wrong or how it’s hurting you.

In Matthew 5:44 Jesus says, “Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

We can also forgive our bullies. In Ephesians 4:32 it says that we should “forgive one another, even as Christ forgave you.” I understand: Doing these things can be challenging because we might feel overwhelmed and anxious. We might not know what to say when it comes to standing up to our bullies. But remember that we have God on our side. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” God can strengthen us in our weakness because “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). In Christ we are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

When Someone Else Is Being Bullied

Another example in which we can see Jesus dealing with bullying was the time He was a bystander—and an upstander—for others. In John 8:1-11 we see Jesus being an upstander for a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Jesus was in the temple, where “all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them” (verse 2).

We should pray for our bullies because they themselves are lost in sin and often don’t know that what they are doing is wrong.

While teaching the people, Jesus was interrupted by the scribes and Pharisees, who brought the woman caught in adultery. “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in adultery. . . . Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned” (verses 4, 5).

Jesus’ response? He stooped down to the ground and started writing with His finger. Then He stood up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (verse 7). After saying this, He stooped down and continued writing on the ground. But when the scribes and Pharisees heard His words, they started to slip away, from oldest to youngest, leaving Jesus and the woman alone.

Jesus stood up again and asked the woman, “Where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, Lord,” the woman responded.

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

What can we learn from this story of being a bystander and upstander for others? First, we can choose not to get involved in the bullying and be the one to shut it down. When the scribes and Pharisees brought this woman to Jesus, He responded by saying nothing. He stooped down and started writing on the ground, “as though He did not hear” (verse 6).

Second, we can stay by the side of the individual who is being bullied, not leaving them to fight on their own. Even after the scribes and Pharisees slipped away, Jesus was left standing there alone with the woman. Not once did Jesus leave the woman to shield Himself—He stayed with her the whole time, revealing His love and compassion toward her.

Third, we cannot judge an individual’s past. We must be the one to show the love of Jesus. We see Jesus say to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (verse 11). Christ knew her past, but treated her kindly. He loved her and revealed His grace and forgiveness.

As we choose to be bystanders and upstanders for others—and ourselves—let us be lights for Christ and reflect His character. Even though we now live in a society in which bullying is a huge issue, let us, through following the example of Jesus, deal with bullying in a way that centers on God’s love and demonstrates how He wants us to live in harmony with one another. And always remember Joshua 1:9: “Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”