Matthew 21:23-27 "When to Confront"

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” 
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’  But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

 One thing we know for certain that Jesus was not adverse to confrontation.  Just a couple of days before this, he had cleared the temple with a whip.  Other times he had called out the priests and pharisees calling them, "A brood of vipers," and "Whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside but full of death on the inside."

Here, the pharisees and priests confront Jesus and demand to know by whose authority He is teaching.  Jesus just kind of side-stepped the issue.  He could have told them.  He could have told them and backed it up with a miracle.  In fact, He could have told them and backed it up by calling down a few thunderbolts from heaven -it might have been very convincing.  Instead, He side-stepped the issue, ultimately saying, "I'm not going to tell you." 

Since we know that Jesus was not afraid to confront, but often chose not to confront, it seems to me that we can become just a little more like Jesus if we can figure out what criteria He used to decide when and when not.

It seems to me that Jesus confronted when their was evil or injustice.  It also seems that He was not very interested in defending Himself when others made accusations -implied or directly.  In other words, Jesus confronted others when a moral and/or spiritual principle was at stake, especially when it involved the helpless and the powerless.  But it was never a matter of personal pride or saving face.

Many years ago when someone accused me of something, my father gave me what I believe turns out to be truly godly wisdom.  He said, "If what they are saying is true, repent and get it right.  If what they are saying is false, let God and the fruit of your life be your defense.  Either way, you don't need to defend yourself."