Facing the unknown is very stressful, and it gets even worse when you must face it alone. I recall the times I have had to travel for ministry retreats and classes, going out of town to face a situation I was uncertain about. I was worried about what was required of me, and worried about my family left behind, and then I had to be on my own, with no one to share my anxiety.
Fortunately for us we have a God with so much compassion and love that He understands our fears. Jesus was in a situation of worry and fear in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has shared the Last Supper with his disciples and then taken them off to a secluded place where he might spend some time in prayer. What does he instruct his disciples to do? How is Jesus described? What does Jesus say of himself?
In some ways Jesus was facing the unknown. He undoubtedly had no experience with the sensation of death and the pain that was awaiting him. And, at the same time, Jesus knew exactly what was waiting for him, what would happen before too long. He knew the suffering he would go through.
How did Jesus react? He wanted to be with his friends for awhile. He wanted to confide in those closest to him, to confess his fears and anxiety. And then he wanted to be alone with God.
Jesus was upset. He feared. He was concerned and apprehensive. Does this make him less of God? I don’t think so. I think it makes him more.
Rather than seeing Jesus in this moment as weak and fallible, I see him as more empathetic with each of us. He was identifying with the types of trials and suffering any of us might go through, and because of that he is more accessible to all of us. It is easier to turn to Jesus in times of fear and stress, because he knows – he really knows – what we are going through. Jesus understands.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there anything overwhelming you with sorrow that you need to share with Jesus?
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