He was despised and rejected of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried... Isaiah 53:3-4
Any conversation about grief has to start from the bottom-line reference point of Christ. There really can be no meaningful discussion of the topic without addressing the suffering of Christ.
I wonder what it must have felt like for Jesus to read scripture like this and know they were talking about Him? The verses that precede and follow these are no better. Actually, they are worse.
This passage is in God's Word for who-knows-how-many-reasons. However, I can't imagine that one of them wouldn't be to remind us when we are living in the pit, that He has walked where we're walking. He has hurt where we're hurting. He has grieved where we're grieving. He has wept where we're weeping.
Does that take the pain and suffering away? Of course not. Does it give new perspective for our lives?
Of course.
If we let it.
What is your response to this passage?
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For a long time, I did not internalize the fact that Jesus felt grief. I also never extrapolated to God the father--that He feels grief. After all, if He does, would He still want to be God--watching us suffer in sin daily and then watching as things out of control happen to us or our families and friends? I, as a human, cannot fathom the amount of grief felt by God. there's a song that states, "Give me Your for just one second, give me Your eyes so I can see all of the things that I've been missing, give me Your love for humanity." I can live with love for humanity, but seeing what God sees, even if just for one second, terrifies me. I can't imagine the rejection that Jesus went through-especially since He did nothing wrong- but I know what it feels like to be rejected when you mean well. I also know that I've experienced crying out to God in my grief and feeling Him cry alongside me because the feeling can't disappear. I'm so glad He's a God who feels. Now I know why I am made the way that I am.
ReplyDeleteMy response to this is the key to what you said before you asked the ?. If we let it. I went through the grieving process first with my mother passing away in 2001, then my father going home to be with the Lord in 2006. God was the only one who brought me through the grieving process when my mom died. If it wasn't for Him, I'd still be a mess or even worse. When my dad passed away, it was peaceful and my family celebrated his life which was what he wanted. It still hurts that dad is not here; however, he is in heaven with Jesus and is no longer suffering in pain. I want to do all I can to make sure I keep my eyes on the prize(PHil. 3:14). I want to see them again soon.
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