Was Jesus Tolerant?

In answer to a recently printed letter asking if Jesus was tolerant, the answer is “Yes.”

Tolerance is seen throughout Jesus’ life when He was confronted by people with legitimate questions (i.e., Nicodemus and the rich young ruler) and by those who were trying to trip Him up with questions so they would have evidence to dismiss Him or have Him killed.

Not once do we see or hear Jesus dismissing those who came to Him for whatever reason by denigrating them. He politely, lovingly, winsomely and, yes, tolerantly listened to them and answered their questions with the truth. By acting in such a way toward sinners, Jesus showed that people have value in God’s eyes regardless of who they were or what they’d done.

Yes, sin is still sin no matter what postmoderns decide to call it. Sinners are still sinners (even those who are Christians).

The Gospel of John quotes Jesus Himself as saying that He had come to bring sinners to repentance. He did not do that by being crude, rude or abusive. Even when hanging on the cross, His prayer was, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

He did not pray, “Father, zap ’em for they are killing your Son. That goes to show you they are sinners.”

I am afraid that arrogance and holier-than-thou attitudes often close the door for a lot of us who would like to tell others about Jesus but can nowhere find an audience willing to listen unless it’s fellow Christians hearing us tell about Jesus from a pulpit. I have found that if I’m willing to listen to someone, that person is tolerant enough of my views to listen to me.

That’s why Jesus was tolerant, and so should we be. I believe the KJV word for tolerance is longsuffering.

Lary M. Burton
Montgomery, Ala.