Persecution from within

“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted Him.” (John 5:16)
We find this verse immediately after the account of Jesus healing the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda. The Pharisees saw the healed man walking around carrying his mat. When he told them that Jesus had told him to do so, they then came looking for Him. (It’s worth noting that whenever John uses the words “the Jews”, he is always referring to the religious establishment, namely the Sanhedrin.)
The point is this: Persecution can often come from within the religious establishment. Jesus was not breaking the Sabbath by healing the man, although He had broken the rules they had made about the Sabbath. Similarly we can expect backlash from the legalists when we break their man-made rules: wearing make-up in church, owning a television, and so on.
It is a great shame when Christians attack other Christians over man-made rules. Jesus had the bigger picture in view here, and I’ve experienced a few occasions where I’ve been blindsided by someone for some particular thing I’ve done when I’ve only had the bigger picture in mind. What to do in those situations? Check that what you’re doing is indeed okay with the Bible. Stay rational with the person. But if they won’t listen, it is better to move on and avoid confrontation. Jesus did this – He relocated to Galilee. Chances are, God is still teaching them, and they have a way to go on the road before they get to the place where you are now.