Being defamed, we entreat. 1 Corinthians 4:13 ɴᴋᴊᴠ No one was ever slandered like the Lord Jesus. His perfect integrity and moral beauty were met with vicious mockery by those who envied and hated Him. They dismissed His hometown of Nazareth in Galilee as insignificant. His countrymen regarded Him as nothing more than a carpenter’s son, and they were offended when He taught them. The Pharisees derided His message and questioned His motives. They insulted the purity of His mother by implying that He had been born through fornication. They called Him “Samaritan” and “friend of sinners” in attempts to degrade His reputation. On at least three occasions, He was accused of blasphemy. Others repeatedly declared that He was possessed by a demon—or even by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. In response, He displayed the divinely beautiful spirit of meekness. “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return” (1 Pet. 2:23). He spoke bluntly against hypocrisy but returned no insulting remark. He rebuked every word against the Holy Spirit but did not even acknowledge the foolishness spoken against Himself. Amid these sore abuses, Christ’s moral glory shone all the brighter. As His disciples, we are called not merely to appreciate His character but to imitate it. Do we face contempt? We must follow His steps (1 Pet. 2:21). As the Lord Himself said, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” (Mt. 10:25). This is what Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 4:13, quoted above. The apostles were ridiculed and insulted. They were slandered and mocked. In response, they displayed the character of Christ. Being defamed, they responded with earnest but gentle entreaty, “Be reconciled to God!” May the mind of Christ rule our lives in like manner. Stephen Campbell https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-28