Enough!

Everything has its limit. An airplane, a boat or a car can only be pushed to its limit, no further. Things mechanical have a maximum operating capacity. At the point of maximum performance, they run at top speed until they run out of fuel or malfunction. Some things are pushed beyond their normal operating limit, and often with disastrous results. As you can see with the balloon, one fraction too much compressed gas and the operational functionality becomes incapacitated or useless or dangerous.

 
Can people be over-used and over-inflated and over-tested? As a matter of fact, yes, and we have one example in the Bible of that happening. And would you believe that it was Jesus, the most patient man who ever lived, that was pushed to the breaking point? You may remember the moment when Jesus was pressed to the outer limits and a tiny fraction more!

The occasion was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. It was instituted by Judas Maccabeus in commemoration of the cleansing and reopening of the Temple after its desecration by the Syrian ruler Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 B.C.. (It’s also called the Feast of Lights or Haanukkah.) Jesus was walking in the area known as “Solomon’s Colonnade”. 

“Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, how long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not; the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But you believed not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.” (John 10:24-26 KJV)

Can you imagine Jesus telling those obstinate Jews in a raised voice with emphasis, “I TOLD YOU” but you didn’t believe me!!! They had tested his patience to the limit that day. Jesus would soon raise Lazarus from the dead and face Golgotha. Would they remember his words? The rest of their lives!

Since Jesus was fully human “…in every way that we are, except without sin” (Hebrews 4:15) it is not surprising that he showed a degree of anger.  However, his anger never ran wild and never was an issue with him. Jesus got angry with Peter, he got angry with the Pharisees, he got angry with the Publicans, he got angry with the Pharisees, he got angry with more than people, he got angry with a fig tree.  One day Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, and he was tired and hungry.  Off in the distance, he saw a fig tree, lush with beautiful leaves.  That usually meant the tree bore figs, so Jesus walked up to the tree to feed off its bounty.  Whether the tree was in season or out of season has been debated, regardless, when the Messiah beckons, we are to “be ready in season and out of season”.  2 Timothy 4:2  Jesus was angry with the fig tree.  It was a fruitless fig tree now. He got angry with the tree and cursed it right on the spot saying “May you never bear fruit again!” Matthew 21:19 This was not a thoughtless act, but and acted-out parable.  Jesus was showing his anger at religion without substance. Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close examination, so the temple looked impressive at first glance, but its sacrifices and other activities were hollow because they were not done to worship God sincerely (see Matthew 21:43).  If you only appear to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the fig tree that bears no fruit.  Genuine faith means bearing fruit for God’s kingdom. Jesus makes it clear: “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them”. Matthew 7:17-2  

Jesus got angry a few times.  Want more?  Mark 3, Healing man with withered hand.  Mark 3, Rebuking Peter.  Mark 8, Predicting the Passion.  Mark 11, Cleansing the temple. Mark 1, Dealing with the demonic.  Matthew 8 & 12, Commanding Satan.  These are just a few. Would they remember his name?  For the rest of their lives!