Jesus Understands

      By Fern Horst

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Recently I was talking to my sister about the difficulties that many singles have in fitting into their churches. I feel deeply for the many individuals who find it difficult to find their place of belonging in the Family of God. I described to my sister the sense I often have of feeling like a part that seems like it should fit into a bigger unit. But no matter what's tried, it just doesn't quite fit anywhere.

Later these thoughts crossed my mind again, and just as suddenly another thought followed it: Jesus was a misfit, also. No matter the group He was in, He was different from all the rest. Unlike his friends and siblings, he was born to a virgin woman and grew up with a sense of a larger mission than those around Him. His inner circle of friends never really understood Him or what He was all about until He went back to Heaven. His "church" saw Him as a threat and worked desperately to get rid of Him.

I then thought about the verses in Hebrews which talk about Jesus being "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" because he was "in all points tempted like as we are." Jesus knows how I feel as a misfit, not only because He is an all-knowing God, but because He also was a misfit among other humans on this earth.

I recall another conversation with my sister a number of years ago when she had two toddlers and a baby. She had derived comfort from the realization that Jesus knew what it was like to have the pressing needs of others around Him constantly. It told her that He understood her feelings of being overwhelmed with the constant needs of her young family.

Do you realize what a wonderful God we serve? He's not a detached deity in the heavens who demands our allegiance without any realization of who we are as individuals or what our needs are. He is a God who was willing to come to this earth as a human being, to experience the things we experience, and to meet each one of us where we are. The same Jesus who ministers to my sister as a mother is the same Jesus who ministers to me as a single person. He understands us equally.

But He does more than understand. He gives us grace to help us in our time of need. Because He faced the same struggles we do without sinning, we know we can, too. Because He accomplished God's purpose for Him despite the difficulties of His life, we know we can, too. And so we keep going forward, not because our lives are perfect or ever will be on this side of heaven, but because they are the lives He has given us to serve Him.

© 2008 Fern Horst

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