Shard from my journal from 3 years ago…….
Jesus’ tough love…..
Jesus called Simon Peter “satan” for being used by the devil to try to dissuade Jesus from following through on his mission that included his own death. He told Simon Peter also that he knew he would betray him. He rebuked Peter for defending him with violence at his arrest. He confronted religious leaders for their hypocrisy and called them vipers and worse. He physically attacked the position of those opportunists who were taking advantage of God’s people, charging exorbitant prices for sacrificial animals in the Temple. He let a stupid, self-righteous money-loving young ruler go his own way rather than try to persuade him further to receive eternal life. He said that anyone who chose family or other demands on their time and attention over following him was not worthy of following him. He said to be in the kingdom one must “hate” family. He delayed several days rather than rush to the side of a dying friend to save him. Jesus’ definition of loving people sometimes seemed less than loving to the people to whom such things were addressed at the moment. One must get deep in the weeds of some of these situations to understand how love is being expressed…..