Pharisees Love Money

How Jesus Embodied Patience Here

In this charged encounter, Jesus demonstrates remarkable patience in the face of open derision from the Pharisees. The text tells us these religious leaders "were covetous" and "derided him" after hearing his teachings about money and faithfulness. The Greek word translated as "derided" suggests they were literally turning up their noses at him, treating his words with contempt and ridicule.

Rather than responding with anger or defensiveness, Jesus exhibits makrothymia — the patient endurance that bears long with people's faults and provocations. He doesn't storm away or launch into personal attacks. Instead, he calmly addresses the root issue: "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."

This patient response reveals Jesus's deep understanding of what drives human behavior. He recognizes that the Pharisees' mockery stems from their attachment to worldly status and wealth — the very things that make them feel justified "before men." In first-century Palestine, religious leaders wielded considerable social and economic influence, and Jesus's teachings about money directly threatened their position.

Jesus's patience extends further as he takes time to teach rather than simply condemn. He explains how the arrival of God's kingdom represents both continuity and transformation: "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." Even while asserting that divine standards remain unchanging — "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail" — he patiently explains this new phase of God's work.

His specific teaching about divorce in this context demonstrates patient precision. Rather than speaking in generalities, he addresses concrete behavior that reflects the same heart condition he sees in the Pharisees: the tendency to manipulate religious law for personal convenience while missing its deeper purpose.

Following His Example

Practice patient truth-telling in conflict. When someone attacks your values or beliefs, resist the urge to strike back immediately. Instead, follow Jesus's model by taking time to understand what's really driving their opposition. Are they threatened? Hurt? Defending something they value? Like Jesus, we can address the deeper issue rather than just the surface hostility. This might mean pausing before responding to a critical email or asking clarifying questions when someone dismisses our convictions.

Endure mockery without compromising truth. Jesus didn't soften his message to avoid the Pharisees' ridicule, nor did he become harsher to prove his point. He maintained both his compassion and his standards. In our context, this might mean continuing to live by our principles even when colleagues mock our work ethic, friends ridicule our generosity, or family members dismiss our faith commitments. Patient endurance means we neither abandon our convictions nor become self-righteous about them.

Teach persistently despite resistance. Notice that Jesus doesn't give up on the Pharisees despite their hostility. He continues to explain God's kingdom and standards, believing that patient instruction can eventually penetrate even hardened hearts. Similarly, we can persist in modeling and gently explaining our values to those who initially reject them — whether that's a teenager pushing back against family principles, a friend struggling with destructive habits, or a community resistant to needed change.

Echoes in Other Traditions

The virtue of patient endurance in the face of opposition and mockery appears across wisdom traditions, often paired with the recognition that true transformation requires time and persistent compassion. Whether expressed through Buddhist concepts of forbearance, Stoic teachings on emotional resilience, or Islamic principles of patience with those who oppose truth, this spiritual principle acknowledges that lasting change in human hearts cannot be forced but must be cultivated through patient, consistent witness to higher values.