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I’m just so glad it wasn’t me.  I couldn’t have not done what Jesus didn’t do.  Especially if I had heaven powers behind me.  Here’s the scene:

Jesus heals a man with a shriveled hand.  Therefore the Pharisees plotted to kill him.

Seriously?  Kill him for…healing someone?  Even Jesus was angry and deeply distressed.  They cared more that it happened on the Sabbath than for the man who had an incapacitating, mocking magnet deformity.  No telling what I would have done.

And that’s why we have to admire Jesus.  For what he didn’t do.

1)  He didn’t call down 10,000 angels and strike them with lightning, sending them straight to hell without passing go.

2)  He didn’t pass judgment against the Pharisees that went something along the lines of “Pharisees are always ________” or “Pharisees never _________”.

3)  He didn’t vow never to return to a synagogue because they were “so full of hypocrites” even though almost every synagogue was full of hypocrites.

4)  He didn’t get discouraged in the ministry or develop a hard heart even though the church leaders wanted to kill him for preaching love and truth.

Instead he let the Pharisees live, he continued to minister to other Pharisees, he intentionally went to more synagogues every week and he didn’t lose heart in his mission, even if he did lose his life.

Admirable.

Totally admirable.

No one will ever be ashamed to follow a man/God like this.  Praise Jesus.