Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we remember Jesus' suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane before His death on the cross. This idea, that Jesus was a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," (Is. 53:3), has been of particular comfort to me this last month.
As many of you know, throughout your life after a loss, grief sneaks up on you at the most unexpected times--holidays, birthdays, at the tale end of winters that will never end. And as I was in the middle of one of these blue times a few weeks ago, I was comforted by the fact that Jesus--God who became Man--experienced sorrow and grief. In fact, His whole mission in coming to the earth was to suffer and die. I have known this since I was a little kid, but for some reason, it really sunk in: Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
We think sometimes that God is far away and can't see our grief, or can't relate. But Jesus is our High Priest who knows what it is to grieve. He was alone in the Garden. His friends were asleep, and then they left Him. He was our suffering servant who came to pay for our sin with His own blood on the cross. Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Jean
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3
2 comments:
How is it that you always bless me by encouragement when it is I who wishes to encourage & uplift??
I think a chronic-like situation begets chronic grief to some degree. You're not at the very beginning of this journey, and unless God miraculously (please,go ahead!) heals Annie you're not at the end, either. Going through each new day fresh with hope & gratitude can be a grind.
But God.
I'm so sorry for your hurts, Jean...but ever so glad that you can take them to the One who knows suffering. May He refresh your spirit as we celebrate His resurrection this Sunday.
Love, g
You ARE a comforting friend, Gretchen, because I know you bear this burden with us. And you're no stranger to grief yourself! And I agree with you: "But God...!"
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4-6
Sunday's coming!
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