So often in life we have things that bug us. Things that make us irritable and mad. Things that make us wonder why people act the way they do. When those moments in time come around, I try to look at Christ’s example and reflect on how He dealt with the things that ticked Him off.
You might ask, “Huh!? He was perfect, remember?”
Of course He was, but He was also a sinless man. He went through the same circumstances and situations that you and I go through every single day.
In scripture, I picked out 3 specific instances where I believe Jesus dealt with things that irritated Him.
- Hypocritical People: The Scribes and the Pharisees- Matthew 23:1-12~ Jesus was not happy with people who were hypocritical. Lately, we’ve seen a lot of this within our world of social media. During this time of election, I was surprised at how many times I saw brother against brother, or someone who stood strongly proclaiming their faith, and then quickly turned against one leader or another because of believing gossip.
I also was shocked to see people professing to follow Christ, and then following leaders who promoted things against God’s Word. Here’s a picture of the moment where Christ is talking to the people:
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” Matthew 21:1-4
- Selfish Gain: Jesus and the disciples were headed to the temple in Jerusalem, but once they arrived they discovered that the temple had been overtaken with people selling their wares. Some were even selling doves that had been taken from the poor. Christ would not tolerate that a holy place would be overtaken by those who were selfish and abusing others to acquire gain.
“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.”
- Friends who weren’t supportive: While Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His crucifixion, He asked His friends to stay with Him, to stay awake and pray. He knew the hour for His death was rapidly approaching. But they did not. I believe He was dismayed and frustrated at His friends’ lack of concern over His request.
“Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.” Matthew 26:40
Maybe you’re like me and you’ve had struggles with being disappointed in others. For me, my 3 top things that make me irritated are 1)People who don’t respond 2)People who don’t follow through when they have an important task to accomplish 3)People who don’t take me seriously.
When I get to the place where I feel like Jesus, disappointed, angry, and betrayed, I just remember that even Jesus had these emotions.
Here are His steps for you and me:
- Stand your ground
- Speak the truth
- Show others that you have expectations
It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s okay to not quite know how to respond to people. But Jesus was very clear, He stood His ground, He spoke the truth, and He let people know His expectations.
Is there someone in your life today that you need to call? Are there changes you need to make? Are there friends who maybe should be cut free? Are there people in your life right now who are anxiously hoping they can be a friend, but you haven’t had room?
Today, start by remembering how Christ dealt with His irritants. Then, let’s look and see where you and I can implement His lessons in our own personal journey.