Facing
tough times and coping with the pressures of life
Patience
is the necessary ingredient for genius.
-The Speakers’ quote book
12.And
on the morrow when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry;13. and seeing a
fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything
thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of
figs was not yet. 14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of
thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. Mark 11:12-14.
Sometimes in life, we find
ourselves at cross roads where we tend to want to throw in the towel;
exhausted, spent, busted and disgusted about life. A time when the daily grind
becomes irritating and we become irritable as well. My charge is, “hold on
tight and don’t snapp!”
The event in the quoted text
happened at the tail end of Jesus’ ministry; precisely a day after the
triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Three years of trekking the streets of
Palestine in the hot desert sun, fagged out and spent... and He knows his time
was up!
After feeding the hypocritical
multitudes that thronged him daily not for his words or teachings but for the
loaves and pieces of fish he gives them for lunch! (Not in any way different
from the multitudes that throng the church today. lol!), his patience has been
worn to the bones, tasked beyond measure. He was about to snap and he did;
cursing the innocent fig tree “for it’s not the time of figs”.
The disciples were not left
out either, James and John wanted him to cause fire to fall and devour the
Samaritans who rejected him entry into their town! See Luke9vs51-54
If these can happen to the
Jesus and his disciples of those days how much more we the disciples of today?
No one is exempt from feelings of frustration and exhaustion like the Lord and
his disciples of those days experienced for he was 100% man!
We live in a fast tracked
world, fast foods and even faster automobiles etc. Once described as the jet
age; I’d like to posit; the problems of
this age stems from impatience. The Lord lost his patience at the fig tree
during a moment of hunger! For I want to believe the Lord could have caused the
tree to bring forth fruits if he wills just as Aaron’s rod was caused to blossom
and bring forth almonds (an old testament story). See Numbers 17vs1-8.
The Lord snapped! So can you! In
His own words “The disciple can only be as the master” but he said “greater
things” shall we do; we have the privilege of managing our emotions effectively
at such a time as this and what we need is more patience.
The Lord Jesus used his
impatience at the fig tree to teach the Apostle Peter the lesson of faith
(Mark11:20-23). But there is only one rule to the game when the ride becomes
rough--- more and more patience; for
patience is the necessary ingredient for genius.
Romans
5vs3-5
And
not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulations
worketh patience; And patience,
experience; and experience, hope; And hope maketh not ashamed because the
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto
us.
Shalom.
Rev.
Richie ‘Bidemi Olu-Davies@Household of David online church.
