Whether through punishing, questioning priorities, or protecting, God desires increased readiness to meet Him. It seemed harsh when Jesus refused to allow a short delay in following Him, even for an understandable reason. On the other hand, the Lord rescued the Disciples by calming a storm at sea. As evidence of His authority to forgive sins, He proceeded to cure a paralyzed man. Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament but not to patch up flawed, manmade rules. (He explained that trying to repair old clothing with new, unshrunken fabric makes a tear worse.) Our Savior traveled from town to town without accommodations. Why do we have reservations about the wisdom of God’s eternal plan, praying most fervently that He will accommodate our earthly desires?