Just this week I had to field some harsh comments on social media about my post on how I talk to God. One person said, “If it’s in your head that means it’s just your own thoughts”…another person ridiculed “Jesus is dead, so where are your priorities?”
Let me tell you, the internet can be a crazy world! But also, I loved that Pastor Manny shared the message this week from John 8, about how Jesus responded to His own “haters.” He had a very methodical way of answering. There was kindness in His words, even when He was being openly rejected and mocked.
When Jesus shared that He and the Father are one, and everything He does comes from the Father, the Pharisees response was a mocking and pointed question, “where is your father?” They weren’t talking about His Heavenly Father like He was, they were talking about Jesus’ earthly one. They thought they knew who he really was; they thought they could strip off his mask and reveal nothing but a fallen human inside.
But they were wrong. And we know this. We know that Jesus was different. He wasn’t like other men. He was sinless and filled with a holiness that could only be through His Father. And yet, Jesus took the time to be patient with these Pharisees.
Pastor Manny mentioned that the patience of Jesus exemplifies His desire to see that all are saved. It reminded me of one of my favorite verses, that I hope encourages you today too, especially if you are in a season of waiting and feeling like things are going so very “slow”:
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV)
He is patient with me. He is patient with you. He is patient with even the “Pharisee” in our lives. His patience knows no bounds, and His desire is that every single person would come to Him.
When I got those comments above on my post, I wasn’t sure how to respond. I spent a few days just talking to the Lord, asking Him to help me. I didn’t want to respond in the flesh, even though that would have felt good at the time. To one of those comments, I gave a slow and patient answer - it came from my quiet time with the Lord. But almost immediately, a comment of further rejection came back from that same person. A simple “yikes” as if to say, “you are out of your mind.”
Yet even in that rejection, it felt good to sit with Jesus in that uncomfortable place. Because in this passage from John, I saw Him do that so well. There was not some big conversion of the Pharisees in this moment. They didn’t suddenly repent and fall to the ground in humility — no, they doubled-down and continued to insult and reject Jesus.
With rejection present, Jesus showed us that in this place, a believer can step in to be the example of humility. Where there is no humility being shown, a humble heart is presented as we abide with God. He has brought us through so much, the least we can do is trust Him in these tough situations. Let’s move away from our fleshly response, and move towards humility and patience…exactly the way Jesus did.
Let me tell you, the internet can be a crazy world! But also, I loved that Pastor Manny shared the message this week from John 8, about how Jesus responded to His own “haters.” He had a very methodical way of answering. There was kindness in His words, even when He was being openly rejected and mocked.
When Jesus shared that He and the Father are one, and everything He does comes from the Father, the Pharisees response was a mocking and pointed question, “where is your father?” They weren’t talking about His Heavenly Father like He was, they were talking about Jesus’ earthly one. They thought they knew who he really was; they thought they could strip off his mask and reveal nothing but a fallen human inside.
But they were wrong. And we know this. We know that Jesus was different. He wasn’t like other men. He was sinless and filled with a holiness that could only be through His Father. And yet, Jesus took the time to be patient with these Pharisees.
Pastor Manny mentioned that the patience of Jesus exemplifies His desire to see that all are saved. It reminded me of one of my favorite verses, that I hope encourages you today too, especially if you are in a season of waiting and feeling like things are going so very “slow”:
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV)
He is patient with me. He is patient with you. He is patient with even the “Pharisee” in our lives. His patience knows no bounds, and His desire is that every single person would come to Him.
When I got those comments above on my post, I wasn’t sure how to respond. I spent a few days just talking to the Lord, asking Him to help me. I didn’t want to respond in the flesh, even though that would have felt good at the time. To one of those comments, I gave a slow and patient answer - it came from my quiet time with the Lord. But almost immediately, a comment of further rejection came back from that same person. A simple “yikes” as if to say, “you are out of your mind.”
Yet even in that rejection, it felt good to sit with Jesus in that uncomfortable place. Because in this passage from John, I saw Him do that so well. There was not some big conversion of the Pharisees in this moment. They didn’t suddenly repent and fall to the ground in humility — no, they doubled-down and continued to insult and reject Jesus.
With rejection present, Jesus showed us that in this place, a believer can step in to be the example of humility. Where there is no humility being shown, a humble heart is presented as we abide with God. He has brought us through so much, the least we can do is trust Him in these tough situations. Let’s move away from our fleshly response, and move towards humility and patience…exactly the way Jesus did.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.