Love is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. These three run together.
Was Jesus “rude”? Yes – no. It depends on what side of the word you are standing. If rude to you means that someone has said or done something that offended you, then yes, Jesus was rude. If rude to you means that someone deliberately went out of his way to cause you trouble, then no, Jesus was not rude.
To illustrate this point, turn to Matthew 15 and read verses 1-16. If you were a Pharisee standing there during this discourse, you would say that Jesus was very rude to you and the Pharisees. Listen to what the disciples had to say as they watched these Pharisees.
“Then the disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?’” Matthew 15:12. Absolutely. Jesus even answers this concept of rudeness. All wickedness is offended by righteousness. All the sinners will point fingers at the righteous and call them “rude” for saying such nasty things of them. I have been called vile by wicked people who think they are of God. This book has been called, “Scurrilous” and “of the devil”. Why? Because this book teaches truth, the teachings of Jesus, and they don’t want to hear it.
This is what Jesus says, “He replied, ‘Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides.’” Matthew 15:13, 14. If you were a Pharisee, you would think that Jesus was very rude to say that. But you see, Jesus was just speaking truth. The wicked hate the truth. Did Jesus go out of His way to say wicked things about the Pharisees? No. They were the ones who came to Him to lodge the complaint. That can be read in the first two verses. Jesus was simply defending His disciples. In other words, the Pharisees brought it on themselves. Keep our mouths shut and we won’t be getting into so much trouble.
Jesus loves, but He never shrank from delivering truth, even if it meant being “rude”. However, it was always delivered in love. Going on we find where we could say that Jesus was “rude” again. “Peter said, ‘Explain the parable to us.’ ‘Are you still so dull?’ Jesus asked them.” Matthew 15:16. What if you were Peter? Would you not think that Jesus answered you in a rude manner? If you’re honest, I think you would think so. If not, see how you respond when someone says to you, “Are you still so dull?” You might take offense also.
To explain this concept more fully, we move to the gospel of John. John, in chapter 6, is recording a dialog between Jesus and His antagonists. The speech Jesus was using was causing a lot of trouble among His hearers. So much so that they were “grumbling”. Jesus directly tells them to “Stop grumbling among yourselves.” John 6:43. They were very offended at Jesus and His manner of speech. They thought He was rude to them in His remarks. So offensive and “rude” was Jesus that “On hearing it, many of His disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’” John 6:60.
You see, in today’s world, as back then, if we are not “Politically Correct” (P.C.) in our speech, we might offend someone, or a church or a religion or a this or a that. The devil does not want us to be “rude”, but to keep truth to ourselves. Jesus was not afraid of being un-P.C. He taught truth. “Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” John 6:61. Yes it did.
Are we to be “rude”? Absolutely not. We are to be truthful no matter what the consequences. I am not to hurt anyone. But if that person perceives a hurt just because I teach truth, that is his problem and not mine. But I will in no way go out of my way to be rude. In love, I must be gentle in all that I do, including the teaching of truth. But I must teach truth and let the marbles fall where they will. “The Word of the Lord is offensive to them.” Jeremiah 6:10.
Outside of truth we must not be rude. We must not desire the first place, or the best food or the best clothes or the this and the that. Let us do all in our power to gently and humbly love those around us, but never to the point of giving up the truth.
Jesus was never self-seeking, He was never easily angered. Did He get angry, Yes. But never over self. His anger was directed against sin and those who were hurting others. He stood up for truth and righteousness, but never for self. They could beat Him, spit on Him and do all manner of evil against Him, and that was okay. But the minute they went against truth, He was there to stand up for it and defend it without hurting them.
If you want to know how angry God gets, as we are to get, just read the book of Jeremiah carefully. See how God gets angry. Then, as a Christian, you get angry at sin and wickedness in your life, and refuse to walk in it any more.
Are we to hate? Absolutely. Amos 5:15 will tell you to hate evil and to love good. The problem is, we have all been brainwashed by the devil and allow sin and evil into our lives and think that it is okay. No, it is not. Get it out. Get angry at sin. Hate sin. Then live the righteous, holy, sinless life of Jesus by getting to know Him.