Find His Kindness
He is despised and ]rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:3
When you think about Jesus, what comes to your mind? Is it a miracle? The collective signs and the wonders? His love for children? His rebuke to the Pharisees? His mercy to the widow? Does your mind immediately see Him on the cross, or do you see the open grave? I personally love the image of Him sitting around the table with His friends and John the beloved resting his head on Jesus’ chest. I imagine Jesus laughing with them and telling them epic stories and reminding them to keep it to themselves. What did Jesus say that never made it into the Bible? Do you ever think about that?
Often when we think about the King of Kings, we like to recall the happy, powerful stories of the Son of God becoming like us for a moment within the pages of eternal history. But Jesus was so much more than a miracle worker. He was brave, strong and kind. He was human for 33 years. He felt love, and loss, and pain. Just like you and me. He bled, his bones broke, and he sweat when walking the long dusty roads from village to city and back again. He felt the pain of rejection and the sting of betrayal. He experienced loneliness and homesickness. He grieved.
You are not alone in your suffering. Grief and sadness can be a lonely, isolating experience. Even when we’re surrounded by friends and family who love us. In a moment when you so desperately need someone to understand what you are going through, the reality is no one truly understands. Why is that? We are all so very uniquely made. We have different personalities, mindsets, worldviews, God concepts, perceptions on etiquette, and spiritual practices. Each heartache is different, from loss of employment and stability, to friendship and family dynamics, health issues, sudden or prolonged loss, betrayal, rejection, deep loneliness…The list of possible pain in this life is so very long and so profoundly personal.
But there is One. Who is acquainted with our grief. He is wholly qualified to meet our deepest need for understanding and compassion. His qualification is one, because He is God. He knows and sees everything all at once. Two, He knows you. He knows you completely and entirely. Jesus does not have any blind spots when it comes to you. Psalm 139 says that He has searched you and He knows you. And He loves you just as you are. Mess and all. And three, He has experienced suffering. He was prophesied in Isaiah as a Man of Sorrows. He gets it.
This week, I want to invite you to peer into the life and the heart of this beautiful Man who loves you with an everlasting love. This Man, who has also experienced loss, rejection, loneliness, and betrayal. He understands physical and mental abuse. He knows the toll it takes on you, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. I want to invite to take a journey with Jesus through His life, find His kindness towards you in this season. Discover His humanity and His infinite compassion and love towards you.