Critical Condition

Critical Condition

John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, “He’s possessed by a demon.” The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, “He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!” Luke 7:33-34

Some people are incessant critics.

The Pharisees and Sadducees in the day of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ fit within that group. They remind me of sportswriter Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star and some other sportswriters I’ve known. These first-century leaders criticized John for not drinking wine or eating enough, and they criticized Jesus for eating and drinking with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners. How about that for consistency! Actually, the underlying focus of their concerns was that both men continually exposed the hypocrisy of the complainers’ “religion.” They didn’t like what John and Jesus stood for or put into action, and as a result they did all they could do to find things to criticize them about and damage their credibility in the eyes of the general public.

I faced that at times—we all do. Some sportswriters would take me to task for giving second chances to players, while others criticized me for emphasizing character too heavily. I received criticism for having a defense-led team in Tampa Bay and being too conservative, rather than developing a higher-powered offense; in Indianapolis, I was criticized for having an offensive-minded team that didn’t have enough defensive stars.

Some will criticize NFL coaches for making the playoffs regularly but never “winning the big one”—the Super Bowl. Other coaches are criticized for selling out their future teams to attempt one year of greatness instead of sustained excellence and regular appearances in the playoffs, even though they don’t have a Super Bowl–caliber team to work with every year.

Go figure.

That’s what Jesus noted too. People criticized John the Baptist for not drinking wine and then criticized Jesus for drinking wine. Of course, the religious leaders of the day criticized both of them for other things as well—revealing the inconsistency in their complaints.

When people criticize you, it’s not always for your actions but for what you represent. If they’re really criticizing you for your faith, it’s important to maintain your focus and continue on the pathway that God has set before you, even in the midst of criticism.

Uncommon Key > When you feel attacked by critical remarks, ask God and a fellow believer for wisdom on how to deal with the situation. See if you can get to the bottom of the criticism before it has a chance to snowball.