The Fruit of Patience
So patience is a tough sort of word. It demands strength and stamina, and it depends on being able to exercise control over our reactions to others. None of that is easy. It doesn’t come naturally to us, which is why we need the Spirit of God to make it grow in our lives.
But before we think about how we should behave, we should start by thinking about the patience of God himself. Remember, when we talk about the fruit of the Spirit, it means that God’s own character is bearing fruit in our character. The life of God is at work within our life.
THE PATIENCE OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
“Slow to anger,” said God about himself. And even when God’s anger is rightly and necessarily aroused by human wickedness and sin, his anger does not last forever. Micah saw that aspect of God’s character (that he does not stay angry forever) as something unique about Yahweh the God of Israel, something that was not true of other alleged gods.
THE PATIENCE OF JESUS
The patience of Jesus with his disciples was tested a lot, as they were so often slow to understand what he was saying and doing (but I don’t think any of us would have done any better). Nevertheless, Jesus persevered with them.
The supreme patience of Jesus is demonstrated, of course, as he endured the violence, cruelty, and injustice of the cross. And he did that precisely in order to “bear/carry” our sins—without retaliation, but trusting in his Father God. In other words, in his suffering and death, Jesus was bearing not only the immediate hostility of those who demanded and carried out his crucifixion, but also the sin of the world, including yours and mine.
Peter sees the patient suffering of Jesus as a model for our own endurance, in words that echo and quote Isaiah 53.