Text: Proverbs 27:3 (ESV)

3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,

but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

DEALING WITH AN INJURIOUS PERSON

The fools are injurious people. The ‘fool's anger’ could be "heavy" to bear, as if being forced to carry a heavy stone or boulder. Given a literal choice, many people would rather struggle to lift a heavy load than withstand constant irritation from an enemy. This type of fool is impetuous and self-willed. (Prov 1:7; 22:10) He lacks self-discipline. He spurts false accusations or purposeful lies in unrestrained anger (Prov 10:19; 25:28).

The Bible often advises that we ignore petty insults and not respond to those merely looking for trouble (Prov 20:3; 1 Pet 4:15; Mat 7:6; Prov 12:16; Mat 5:39 ). This is not easy to do, especially when the insults become injurious. It can be extraordinarily difficult to "rise above" a persistent troublesome person. Our patience will run out. Part of the wisdom in this statement comes from the power of understanding and embracing the person as he is. We won’t be affected much if we embrace the person with tolerance and understanding. Injurious people are like porcupines. We know that it has sharp spines so we have to provide distance ourselves. We can’t change its nature but change our responses toward it.

Wisdom teaches us best to ignore such provocation from an injurious person. Take for example the way Jesus dealt with injurious people. When He was falsely reviled, he did not retaliate. Instead, He "continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (1 Pet 2:23). Peter cites Jesus' response to aggression as an example believers should follow when they suffer similar injustice. He writes: "But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God" (1 Peter 2:20).

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