Luke 9:41 “O unbelieving and perverse
generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put
up with you?”
There
were times in Christ’s ministry when He was exasperated with the people around
Him. In today’s passage, (Luke 9:37-45), Jesus is not so upset at the father of
the sick boy, as He is concerning His own disciples. He has just been through
the amazing mountain-top experience of Divine Transfiguration when, all of a
sudden, He is brought back to the ground with a joyless jolt and into the human
world of fear and anxiety, failure and doubt.
This
makes me wonder what causes Jesus to actually get exasperated with me. I also go
through times of anxiety and doubt, fear and failure. My faith diminishes and
my worries increase. Instead of relying upon Christ’s guidance, help, and
presence, I try to fix things in my own way and sometimes end up making things
worse for other people and me. My humanity often holds me back, whereas Christ’s
presence could actually remedy my wrongdoing and mend the mistakes in my life.
Eventually,
after expressing His exasperation, Jesus healed the sick boy. His compassion
over-rode any impatience or inconvenience that He may have suffered. He still
did what was right, not because it was required, but because His love and grace
were (and always will be) real.
Questions for personal reflection
When can Jesus
get exasperated with me? What do I need to do to change this?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please be patient with
me, especially when my faith is weak and my spirit is not strong. Become my
strength and salvation. In Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s
image is called “Abide in Me,” and is John’s latest digital glass drawing. If
you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7792965424_59c3929c30_b.jpg
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