Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Never alone

"Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested." Heb 2:18

The incarnation, the teaching of our faith that insists that Jesus is truly human and truly divine, is sometimes difficult to understand or accept. Although we bow before the Lord as our brother and friend, that he is like us in all things but sin can be unnerving and even off putting. Many friends in faith tell me that is easier for them to relate to Mary than Jesus because there is no claim that she, though gifted in marvelous ways, is divine.

The author of Hebrews, however, pushes us beyond our comfort zone and insists that it is precisely because Jesus suffered that we relate to him in our own trials. It is Jesus, hanging on a cross with few friends around, who calls us closer to him in our own crucifixions, and while he does not take away our struggles, he accompanies us and assures us that we are not alone. 

In truth, that is all most of us really need. We can accept the ups and downs of life, but to be isolated from all that matters is too much to endure. Knowing that Jesus is with us in our suffering changes everything.

Today, stand with struggling with the unexplainable.

What are the most difficult tests in your life?

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