First Aid for the Criticized

by Sandra Doran

“Question: How should Christians react when they see members of the congregation being hurt by a critical member? Should they try to intervene or just ignore the situation and hope it goes away?

Answer: As Christians, whenever we see people being hurt, we have no choice but to be an agent of healing. Whether we directly confront a situation or choose to handle it in a less obtrusive way, we have a moral obligation to staunch the pain that we witness in the world around us. In looking to the life of Christ, we find an array of examples that range from direct action to subtler methods of problem resolution.

In response to the moneychangers in the temple, Christ left no questions as to His feelings. His actions were clear, swift, and decisive. When reacting to wealthy church officials who looked down upon the widow with a two-mite offering, He simply validated the woman who was the object of ridicule. In all cases where Christ witnessed maltreatment of human beings, He stepped in, role-modeled kindness, and restored dignity to the demeaned and demoralized. Consider His reaction to the downtrodden in the following instances:

• When the disciples criticized mothers longing to place their little ones on Jesus’ lap, He reacted by affirming the women who were so often the recipients of bias and negativity….”

(this article is an excerpt from the March–April 2004 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 12, click this link: https://biblesabbath.org/tss/506/tss_506.pdf