When He was tried by those who opposed Him, Jesus could have called upon legions of angels at any moment. But He didn’t. Today, R.C. Sproul considers the true patience of our Savior.
How long do you put up with the buzzing of a fly or an ant walking across your plate at a picnic? When you know all you have to do is just take your finger and go whoosh, and that’s the end of the annoyance. I noticed when I was little and I was given to combat and violence, maybe 50 street fights when I was in high school, that most of my fights were with people my own size. My fuse was not quite as short with guys that were six foot five. I did get in a fight once where the guy, six five, once, I put the emphasis on once. That taught me a little bit about patience, the next time I said... in other words, we tend to be more patient with people over whom we have no power because we can’t afford not to have patience.
So in that case, patience is not so much a virtue, is it? Think of Jesus who at any moment could call on legions of angels. And He stood there and listened to the calumnies of these men who were arguing with Him theologically, who was the beginning and end of theology. They’re arguing him about nature, He made it. They’re threatening Him with punishment, and He has the power of life and death in His hands. And He opened not His mouth. He reminded His disciples that, hey look, nobody takes my life from me, but I lay it down for my sheep. And He could have called upon those legions of angels. And that really takes grace. To be patient when you have the power to be impatient.
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