We've all spoken too sharply at times. It seems those harsh words that fly out of our mouths before we know it are most often aimed at the people we love most. They spill out of our mouths as a result of frustration or disappointment or anger. I recently had to apologize to my 4 year old son for speaking to harshly to him because he was slow to obey. Does Christ feel those same frustrations when we are slow to obey?
While studying the 9th chapter of Luke I came across words of Jesus that seemed to reveal a pretty intense level of frustration. A man came to Christ with his son who was possessed by an evil spirit. He asked Christ if he could cast out the spirit and then indicated that he had asked the disciples to do it but they could not. Jesus' answer seems pretty terse; "O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Is Jesus irritated, disturbed, annoyed, dissatisfied?
Luke 9:1 reveals that Jesus had provided them with the necessary means to do what they had failed to do. "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases" So, why had they failed to cast out the demon? They were paralyzed by their unbelief. Lack of faith and powerlessness are slothful sisters that weaken us and frustrate Jesus.
Jesus gave them reason for their failure in Matthew 17 "If you have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, you shall move mountains. Nothing will be impossilbe for you. But this kind doesn't go out without much prayer and fasting. No great thing was ever done for God without much prayer!
In this chapter the disciples witness great and phenomenal things. They witness the feeding of the 5,000. They witness the transfiguration and the casting out of demons. Jesus began to speak to them of how he would soon be taken. And how do they respond? They become involved in a pithy argument about whom among them would be the greatest! Their pride prevented them from being affective for Christ. Pride is the seed for every sin. No wonder Jesus was questioning how long he would have to put up with them!
Are we a blessing to Jesus or is he just bearing with us? Are we a joy to Him or are we breaking his heart. Are we receiving his outpouring or is he just putting up with us?May God help us to flee from our distractions and set our minds on One who is worth living for and dying for. God help us to make the necessary sacrifices in this world in order to attain the blessings that await us in the next.
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