Did Jesus always have patience with everone?

Answer 1

A:

It would be nice to portray Jesus as a perfect human, with infinite patience, but the gospels say otherwise. In Mark 6:7-11, when Jesus sent out the disciples to spread his teachings, he cursed those who will not receive them, impatiently denying non-believers the freedom to decide. When Jesus encountered a fig tree that did not bear fruit out of season (Mark 11:13-14), he cursed the tree, causing it to wither and die.

In John's Gospel, at chapter 21, the risen Jesus questioned Peter three times, just as Peter had previously denied Jesus three times. The first time, Jesus asked , "Do you love (agape) me more than these (the other disciples)?" Peter answered that he loves him, but only using the Greek word for friendly or brotherly love (philia). In exasperation, Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." With the meanings of sacred love (agape) and brotherly love (philia) lost in the English translations, this last statement is usually interpreted as a sign of approval, quite the opposite of the original meaning.

Jesus again asked Peter, "Do you love me?" Again, sacred love (agape), but this time did not ask whether Peter loved Jesus more than the others. And again, Peter replied with the Greek word for brotherly love (philia).

In the third questioning, Jesus asked only whether Peter had brotherly love for him (philia). He accepted that this was the most that Peter would give.

When understood in this way, we realise that "Feed my sheep" was a sign of frustration and impatience, and does not refer to real or allegorical sheep.