Seeing Jesus' Patience (Part 5)

"For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:3). The word "endured" in this verse parallels the word "patience" as a fruit of the Spirit. Both words involve staying under something, bearing or suffering long. According to the verse above, observing Jesus' patience is intended to encourage believers in their trials.

Patience is seen in the context of difficulties, disappointments, and challenges. For Jesus, those patience-requiring situations typically involved interactions with people. There were constant demands on Jesus, and He bore them patiently. "Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan" (Matthew 4:25). Jesus' response was to give Himself in teaching and healing. "And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, . . . and He spoke many things to them" (Matthew 13:2).

This pressure-filled life was routine for Jesus. Essentially He had no such thing as privacy. Probably the closest parallel in modern society would be celebrities who are constantly hounded by paparazzi or the President whose every move is watched. These people occasionally find ways to escape the pressured public life, but Jesus could not escape the ever-present and always-demanding crowds. "When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him" (Matthew 8:1). "And large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there" (Matthew 19:2). "As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him" Matthew 20:29).

Those multitudes of people with numerous demands meant Jesus did not even have the luxury of facing pressure singly. The layered and complex pressure is pointedly revealed in one story. Jesus was in the midst of teaching, and "while He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came" (Matthew 9:18). Jairus interrupted Jesus, asking Him to come heal his daughter. "Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples. And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak" (Matthew 9:19-20). Jesus was interrupted in the midst of His previous interruption - yet He patiently helped each person.

In addition to the crowds, Jesus displayed patience with His disciples. According to human expectations, the twelve who were constantly with Him, learning from Him, and ministering with Him would provide reprieve from the constant challenges. Instead, the twelve contributed their own pressures. Sometimes that was as practical as providing food when they could not provide their own. "So Jesus said to them, 'Children, you do not have any fish, do you?' They answered Him, 'No'" (John 21:5).

Jesus also showed patience when the disciples did not understand His ministry. Unbelieving Samaritans had failed to provide supplies. "When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, 'Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?' But He turned and rebuked them and said, 'You do not know what kind of spirit you are of'" (Luke 9:54-55). Jesus did not intend to destroy, but to save. Later the disciples even rebuked and tried to hinder those who wanted to come to Jesus. "But Jesus said, 'Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me'" (Matthew 19:14).

Jesus exhibited patience when the disciples did not understand His teaching. "Peter said to Him, 'Explain the parable to us.' Jesus said, 'Are you still lacking in understanding also?'" (Matthew 15:15-16). "They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, 'He said that because we did not bring any bread.' But Jesus, aware of this, said, 'You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or remember?'" (Matthew 16:7-9).

Jesus displayed patience when the disciples showed ambition instead of servitude. "Then Peter said to Him, 'Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?'" (Matthew 19:27). "Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him" (Matthew 20:20). "They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, 'What were you discussing on the way?' But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest" (Mark 9:33-34).

Jesus exuded patience when the disciples failed in their faith. "Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not drive it out?' And He said to them, 'Because of the littleness of your faith'" (Matthew 17:19-20). "And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!' He said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?'" (Matthew 8:25-26). "But seeing the wind, [Peter] became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?'" (Matthew 14:30-31). "Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing'" (John 20:27) . The seemingly glaring failure of His investment in these men could have evoked explosive impatience, but Jesus endured.

Jesus even expressed patience when all of His disciples abandoned Him despite their protests to the contrary. "Then Jesus said to them, 'You will all fall away because of Me this night'" (Matthew 26:31). In His deepest need, they fled.

The introductory verse admonishes believers to be encouraged toward patience by Jesus' example. His great patience also facilitates a wonderful invitation. "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).