Sometimes I Get Cranky.

Have you ever been going through rough times and you hear someone complaining about how their dinner at some restaurant wasn't cooked well? Or maybe they are upset because they couldn't get their nails done when they wanted them done. Whatever. Meanwhile, you are hanging onto life by your fingernails; you are in so much mental pain you can't think straight. But you can think straight enough to wonder what the hell they have to complain about. They should try your life out for a few minutes and they would never complain about small things again. (Of course you never share these thoughts with them. No, not nice.)

I sometimes wonder if Jesus felt frustrated like that at his followers.

"For He (Jesus) was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.  But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.

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 argued with one another about who was the greatest."

Mark 9:31-34

So, Jesus is telling them once again that soon he would be killed and what do they talk about? Which one would have the best job in the new kingdom. Who was going to sit next to Jesus ruling Israel. That's what they were interested in. I imagine them thinking, "Jesus is always saying strange, incomprehensible things, so just forget what he said and lets discuss something that really matters."

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is when Jesus said, "And Jesus answered and said, 'You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.' "  Matthew 17:17  If anything shows Jesus' humanity, this is it. It also shows it isn't a sin to get exasperated with people. Jesus was always kind, so I'm sure he said this in a nice way. Maybe.

Well, In the Old Testament, God got good and mad at people too and I don't blame him. Sometimes I say to him, "I must drive you crazy, because I drive my own self crazy."   We are sure fortunate that God is patient. Super patient. I mean just look at the disciples; they were incredibly dumb. I'm glad, because then I don't have to feel so bad about myself. It's like I sometimes think (this is embarrassing), "David committed adultery and then murdered her husband. Well, I've never done anything close to that so I'm golden."  (I know we are saved by grace, but old habits die hard.)

Anyway, I'm with Jesus. Get me outta here. Get me to heaven where I can relax and I don't have to hear about stupid first-world problems.