Jesus Understands

Natural human weaknesses, though not sinful in themselves, are usually accompanied by temptations that do prod us to sin.  But Jesus, because he is a real man and experienced all the same weaknesses and temptations that we do, is able to come to our rescue.

One weakness that is not sinful but can easily become an occasion for sin is physical fatigue. When I am tired I often find myself tempted to quit or to break my promises. I give myself excuses to not keep my commitments, because I am weary.

Another way I am tempted to sin when I am tired is I am easily angered. This may come out in full blown angry words or actions, or I might just be irritable or impatient.

Whenever I react to weariness in any of these sinful ways what is really happening is that I am loving myself more than I am loving God and others. And that is the root of all my sin.

But I also know that I don’t have to sin when I am tempted in these ways. And I also don’t have to just tough it out and will myself to not sin, which pretty much always fails. I can come to Christ for comfort, and he will really help, because he really understands.

There was a time when Jesus was so weary from a trip that he just sat down and didn’t go further, while the disciples went off to run an errand. They went to go get food. (See John 4:6-8). Jesus was not lazy and he was not selfish or manipulative. He wasn’t using the disciples because he just didn’t feel like running the errand himself.

If he sent the disciples off while he stayed behind he had to have a reason. The text tells us. He was tired. Knowing that Jesus was tired on this, and, I am sure, many other occasions, gives me great comfort and hope when I am weary. It gives me comfort and hope that I don’t have to sin in my weariness.

Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin (Hebrew 4:15). That tells me that when he was tired Jesus too was tempted to quit and to not keep his promises. It tells me that Jesus too felt irritable with people and wanted to snap at them. He knows, he really knows, exactly what that feels like. But he did not sin.

So when I’m tired and feel like I don’t want to go to another meeting, or answer the phone when it rings, or when harsh words rise up to the tip of tongue, when I am tempted to love myself and my comfort more than I love God and love others, I can call out to Jesus for help. And when I do he will say, “I understand,” and he will understand. Because he really has experienced the same thing.

Jesus will be able to strengthen me at just the point of my temptation. He will be able to help me, exactly as I need to be helped, and not only because he is God. He will be able to help me because he is also a real man who has been there and done that, been tempted in exactly the same way, yet without sin.   

With his help, and the strength that he provides, I will be able to love God and others, even when I don't feel like it. I find great comfort and hope that.

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