Argumentative People
"Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha. When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came to argue with him. Testing him to see if he was from God, they demanded, 'Give us a miraculous sign from heaven to prove yourself.' When he heard this, he sighed deeply and said, 'Why do you people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I assure you, I will not give this generation any such sign.' So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake ." Mark 8:10-13 (NLT).
Some people just like to argue. They couldn't care less about learning anything and they certainly aren't teachable. They only want to argue. It's the battle of words that they love. Round and round they will go, diving in for the kill, retreating a little and then attacking again. They will do anything to win an argument and love the argument itself most of all. This was how the Pharisees were. They did not seek Jesus to learn. They did not seek Jesus out of sincerity. They sought him to argue with him.
Modern day Pharisees love to argue with Jesus too. Only, since Jesus is not here in person, they argue with his people about his Word. They dissect the Bible and rip it apart or try to. They aren't interested in learning or even in hearing and evaluating. They only wish to argue and major in minutia.
I used to engage in verbal sparring with such people who would argue endlessly with me on various subjects, but they ignored every verse of scripture I brought to their attention and kept on arguing.
I learned that it wasn't worth it. The person who loves to argue will never be persuaded, and aren't even interested in knowing the truth. They only wish to argue. Even if you concede that they are right, they will find something else to argue about. I've come to be able to spot such people quickly and not waste my precious time on them. I advise you to do the same, if you aren't already doing it.
Jesus didn't waste his time on argumentative people. In fact, he didn't even hang around. He told them that he wasn't going to give them a miraculous sign to prove who he was. In Matthew's account of this story, Jesus says that the only sign these Pharisees would receive would be the sign of Jonah (See Matthew 16:1-4). As Jonah was three days in the belly of a fish, so Jesus would be three days in the heart of the earth after his crucifixion. In other words, the only sign any person needs to follow Jesus is the fact that Jesus died and rose again for them.
If this good news does not impress a person, nothing will. It is the most magnificent message on earth! The son of God died a brutal death on a cross in our place and rose again to offer us eternal life. If this won't convince someone that they need to follow Jesus, nothing will. No amount of arguing or verbal bantering or oral skirmishes will win their hearts. The good news is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16)! If they aren't touched by the love Jesus showed on the cross, nothing will touch them. If they won't believe the gospel, they will not be likely to believe anything else about God. So don't waste your time arguing. Jesus didn't waste his time. In fact, when the argumentative Pharisees came to banter with him, he made a brief statement and "got back into the boat and left them" (vs. 13).
That's what we have to do with argumentative people who we know have no intention of learning or believing. We must leave them where they stand and move on to more fertile fields. Don't waste time arguing with hard hearts. Wait until their hearts are softened enough to listen to God, then, try again if God gives you the opportunity. You'll know if they're ready to listen by the look in their eyes.
Paul wrote, "Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness" (1 Timothy 4:7). Now this does not mean we can't reason with people who are sincerely seeking truth or may differ with us and truly wish to sharpen their understanding. Paul did this all the time (See Acts 19:8). However, when someone only wants to argue, it's time to get out of Dodge! It's not worth it and is only a distraction of the Evil One on our lives.
Is it time for you to get back into the boat and leave?