Why Is Jesus Described as a "Hard Man"?
Because divine justice is severe toward sin. Robert Sungenis explains that Christ's holiness terrifies the unrepentant and comforts the obedient, so he is at once terrifying in judgment and gentle in mercy.
Why Is Jesus Described as a "Hard Man"?
Answer
Why is Jesus described as a "hard man"? Because divine justice is severe toward sin. Christ's holiness terrifies the unrepentant but comforts the obedient. He is both terrifying in judgment and gentle in mercy. The phrase comes from the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), where the servant who buried his master's money calls the master a hard man. Robert Sungenis reads that parable in his book Not By Faith Alone (Second Edition). He notes that the servant "accuses the master of being a dishonest man," and that the master "senses his deception and banishes him to outer darkness for punishment." He then states what he takes the story to teach: "the responsibility each of us has to continue in faith and good works while the Lord is away, for he will come at a time we least expect and demand to see the results of his investment in us. If they are not present, he will condemn us."