The term bully has various meanings surrounded by one key word, intimidate. Bully’s often browbeat, harass, frighten, oppress, persecute, torment and terrorize people. Their ultimate goal is to control others whom they deem to be weaker like the carp in the caption above.
A spiritual bully uses laws, teetotalism and theology to control people from questioning their authority. Instead of exploiting physical dominance over individuals, spiritual bullies verbally assault their victims with dogma, keeping them in check with threats of excommunication like the Pharisees in John 9:13-34. In some cases, they might force you to choose sides, placing friend against friend or family member against relative.
At the beginning of John 9, a man born blind from birth is miraculously healed by Jesus. If the word about Jesus got out, Pharisees feared that they might lose Jewish followers or worse yet, power to his sect. Therefore, the Pharisees begin to interrogate this healed man and his parents, threatening to expel them from the local synagogue if they publicly confirm their son’s testimony.
Jesus was an expert at putting spiritual bullies in their place, John 9:35-41. I guess if you are God and you know people’s hearts, its easy. Nonetheless, Jesus exposed them for who they were, stubborn and spiritually blind, guilty of sin and judgment. If you encounter someone who fits this description, pray for insight, meditate on Jesus’ words in John 9 and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a spirit of boldness, Acts 4:29.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 