Recently, I have had a couple of occasions to mention an aspect of Jesus' character that I don't hear much about: Jesus can be rough. There are times when his words seem sharp and his actions harsh.
Here's an example of some rather sharp words which, at the very least, would seem unfeeling. 'Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.' (Mark 7) To whom does Jesus say this? He speaks these words to a mother pleading for her afflicted daughter. Now, to be sure, it's one thing to say, 'I'm sorry but I can't help you' and quite another to apply the language of 'dogs'.
Then there's this example of Jesus' actions that caused pain, avoidable actions that he knew would cause pain. Messengers are sent to him to tell him that his close friend, Lazarus, is ill. And how does Jesus respond? 'So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.' (John 11) After those two days' delay Jesus then decides to go. And why? It's because he knows that Lazarus has died. In fact, he knew that Lazarus would die if he did not go. So, didn't he realize the suffering this would cause Lazarus and the grief that would overcome his sisters, Mary and Martha? How could he not? And yet, he delayed going. (Bear in mind that he didn't have to go anywhere. To quote the centurion, 'Just say the word.' Jesus could have healed him from a distance.)
Now there are good reasons why Jesus said and acted as he did. A little study in the two passages of Scripture referred to will reveal those reasons and how they reflected his compassion. But the point that I want to make here is that on the way to being compassionate Jesus was rough.
So, why do I write about this? It's because Jesus is still rough. He is, at times, rough with us. And that becomes a problem when we don't understand that he is being rough with us on the way to his being compassionate. There are things for us to experience, see more clearly, understand at a deeper level. These sorts of things need to happen if we are going to become the faithful disciples that he has called us to become. And sometimes the best way for us to get there is by Jesus being rough with us.
So, the next time life gets hard - and that can run the gamut from a bad afternoon to hearing about the death of someone you love - thank Jesus for what he is in the process of doing. This will be a time when you will need to trust him. You will probably not know what, exactly, he is doing, and you may need to offer that thanks through tears. But it's still true that he is being rough with you because he wants to do you good and in so doing advance his kingdom.