Breaking the mocking habit

Louise White—San Diego, California

My children and I used to spend a short time each morning reading together a section from the Christian Science Bible Lesson.

One week the children were deeply touched by the courage Jesus showed through his trial before Pilate. The Bible tells of the soldiers mocking Jesus: “When they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29).

“Why did they mock him?” the children asked with sadness. After some discussion we decided that mocking can happen when others are afraid of you, or when they don’t understand you—or even when they want to hide their pride behind sarcasm, using their words to wound you.