A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention. Proverbs 15:18
Quarreling men
Christian astronomer and apologist Hugh Ross tells that following one of his talks, an angry man, who had avoided the lecture itself, began ranting at the start of the question and answer period. The tension in the room rose as this man, who described himself as an atheist, gushed hostility.
By calmly and prayerfully answering with facts, Ross deflected the man’s antagonism and was able to share the gospel.
Christ also deflected antagonism by remaining calm. There were times when his enemies tried to trap him; he answered wisely and then left them speechless, and the argument was at an end, when he posed questions to them that they could not answer.
However, one of the most astonishing incidents did not develop as Christ’s enemies expected. The Jewish Council had sent soldiers to arrest him, but the men returned empty handed. Asked why, they replied simply, “Never man spoke as this man spoke.” Contention was deflected because the Lord had calmly proceeded with the work given him by the Father.
